List Mgmt. Welcome to the Suns, Mabior Chol.

[Goldberg]

Would you play 3 talls next year if they're all fit in the forward line?
Chol Levi and King?

Quite a conundrum. B.King may have to go to the backline.
Would be handy down there when we play Stkilda.

 

[Supersuns]

We are not sending Ben King

34

Ben King

Age

24

Ht

202cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.2

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

2.2

2star

M

3.5

4star

T

0.5

3star

G

1.3

5star

D

7.5

2star

K

5.6

2star

HB

1.9

1star

M

3.6

4star

T

0.3

1star

G

1.5

5star

D

6.8

2star

K

4.4

2star

HB

2.4

3star

M

3.2

4star

T

0.2

3star

G

1.0

4star

to the backline. Casboult will make way for King.

 

[Jirik13]

Would you play 3 talls next year if they're all fit in the forward line?
Chol Levi and King?

Why not. At least, I would have a go. Lions play 3 talls with a great success. Both Chol and King are agile, difficult match ups. Add contest beast Levi occupying a big defender - it could be a nightmare for oppositions.

 

[Jirik13]

B.King may have to go to the backline.

Not a chance, IMO.

 

[OB11]

Casboult kept around and play if there is an injury. He had some success as a key back as well which should allow us to thank Sam Day

12

Sam Day

Age

32

Ht

196cm

Wt

106kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.8

2star

K

5.2

2star

HB

4.6

3star

M

3.5

4star

T

1.8

4star

G

0.7

4star

D

8.0

2star

K

3.6

1star

HB

4.4

3star

M

1.9

2star

T

1.5

2star

G

0.9

4star

D

8.6

3star

K

3.2

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

0.8

3star

G

0.2

3star

for his service and allow him to provide cover for both key posts while Andrew and Brock are still developing.

 

[lommy]

Would you play 3 talls next year if they're all fit in the forward line?
Chol Levi and King?

next year? Ill just leave this here, in case we make finals...

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/collingwood/how-collingwood-veteran-tyson-goldsack-went-from-acl-victim-in-march-to-finals-linchpin-in-september/news-story/3a328f322e3b523e4dd7c63ee40f3abb

 

[Jirik13]

Casboult kept around and play if there is an injury. He had some success as a key back as well which should allow us to thank Sam Day for his service and allow him to provide cover for both key posts while Andrew and Brock are still developing.

Day is contracted until the end of 2023. IMO, good depth to have if more talls go down. Day played well in VFL the last couple of games, best forward for us there.

 

[Rioli2Rioli]

2 phones if my favourite nickname for a player ever, elite

He has actually always had 2 phones since being drafted

 

[KaySwizzle]

When I first saw highlights of Chol the day we picked him up, I thought he would be a “budget” version of King. In the sense that he would be fast, agile and good at ground level but play kind of similar games by not being contested beasts. I was still happy then, but he has exceeded expectation beyond belief.

Now I salivate at what they could do together. Like King, he can get out the back for the easy goal—but it only looks easy because of the space they get and the speed they pick up the ball.

His ceiling is huge. Chol can fly high and one day will take a mark of the year contender. And his ruck work is much better than I thought it would be.

Could be one of the best Free Agents we’ve picked up.

 

[Andyy]

Would you play 3 talls next year if they're all fit in the forward line?
Chol Levi and King?

Play them all. Chol is agile and recovers quick.

 

[GC2015]

When I first saw highlights of Chol the day we picked him up, I thought he would be a “budget” version of King. In the sense that he would be fast, agile and good at ground level but play kind of similar games by not being contested beasts. I was still happy then, but he has exceeded expectation beyond belief.

No one could have ever predicted this before the season started but it's entirely possible both Chol and Casboult will kick more goals for us this year than King did last year (47). Chol is on track to kick 46.4 goals this season and Casboult is on track to kick 48.8 goals this season. Imagine what would happen if all three played together!

 

[Big Red Machine]

No one could have ever predicted this before the season started but it's entirely possible both Chol and Casboult will kick more goals for us this year than King did last year (47). Chol is on track to kick 46.4 goals this season and Casboult is on track to kick 48.8 goals this season. Imagine what would happen if all three played together!

Even if it takes two players to total the same amount of goals King kicked last year those goals are still being kicked.

They don't ask how, they ask how many.

 

[Choppers]

How refugee Mabior Chol found his way in the AFL

The journey from South Sudan to the lofty heights of the AFL has never been an easy path, but Gold Coast Suns recruit Mabior Chol is finding his feet.

www.abc.net.au

 

[GC2015]

How refugee Mabior Chol found his way in the AFL

The journey from South Sudan to the lofty heights of the AFL has never been an easy path, but Gold Coast Suns recruit Mabior Chol is finding his feet.

www.abc.net.au

One of the most exciting things about Mabs is he doesn't appear to be anywhere near his ceiling. I watch him most weeks jumping on opponents' backs which almost results in a speccy and I just think to myself, wow imagine if he held onto those marks. I still think he can improve his motor as well because he does seem to have patches of games where he's quiet but I do remember seeing him in the wet against Fremantle and he was absolutely spent in the fourth quarter but still gave everything he had. You love to see it.

I'm fairly sure Richmond are going to regret letting him go in a year or two from now when Riewoldt has retired and Lynch is declining.

 

[My_Username]

One of the most exciting things about Mabs is he doesn't appear to be anywhere near his ceiling. I watch him most weeks jumping on opponents' backs which almost results in a speccy and I just think to myself, wow imagine if he held onto those marks. I still think he can improve his motor as well because he does seem to have patches of games where he's quiet but I do remember seeing him in the wet against Fremantle and he was absolutely spent in the fourth quarter but still gave everything he had. You love to see it.

I'm fairly sure Richmond are going to regret letting him go in a year or two from now when Riewoldt has retired and Lynch is declining.

I think it's more about getting more game experience at this level rather than fitness.

Knowing when to run, and how hard, to suit himself is more important that being able to run 1% further.

Similarly with those high marks...Maybe a bit of experience with positioning himself, and maybe a well timed bit of physicality would have given him a more reliable, if less spectacular, marking option?

He's old enough that he's unlikely to get a lot fitter, but he can, and will, learn to use his efforts better. That's what he needs to work on, and where his real upside is.

As for Richmond, he's 25 and clearly ready to play at this level. I doubt they really could have held him back to play VFL for a couple more years as backup to Reiwoldt/Lynch, with a maybe on getting the job afterwards...They might regret it, but I dare say they'd also be realistic about what their chances of keeping him were.

 

[RJKTiger]

I think it's more about getting more game experience at this level rather than fitness.

Knowing when to run, and how hard, to suit himself is more important that being able to run 1% further.

Similarly with those high marks...Maybe a bit of experience with positioning himself, and maybe a well timed bit of physicality would have given him a more reliable, if less spectacular, marking option?

He's old enough that he's unlikely to get a lot fitter, but he can, and will, learn to use his efforts better. That's what he needs to work on, and where his real upside is.

As for Richmond, he's 25 and clearly ready to play at this level. I doubt they really could have held him back to play VFL for a couple more years as backup to Reiwoldt/Lynch, with a maybe on getting the job afterwards...They might regret it, but I dare say they'd also be realistic about what their chances of keeping him were.

All true, except there are a few fans like myself that were willing to back him in and preferred to move on from Jack at the end of 2021 as the tealeaves on this teams future were read. He is a willing support role player and those blokes are gold for me. Glad to see he is performing for you guys, seems like there is nil "buyers regret" with him

 

[GC2015]

Glad to see he is performing for you guys, seems like there is nil "buyers regret" with him.

There were some on our board who were concerned that we had overpaid ($400k a year) and given too many years (four year contract) when we first signed him but the contract offer looks like an absolute masterstroke now. Having a 25 year old key forward (who looks set to kick 50 goals this year) on $400k for the next four years is a dream scenario! He also happens to be a Queenslander which is an added bonus.

 

[Iva Bigun]

One of the most exciting things about Mabs is he doesn't appear to be anywhere near his ceiling. I watch him most weeks jumping on opponents' backs which almost results in a speccy and I just think to myself, wow imagine if he held onto those marks. I still think he can improve his motor as well because he does seem to have patches of games where he's quiet but I do remember seeing him in the wet against Fremantle and he was absolutely spent in the fourth quarter but still gave everything he had. You love to see it.

I'm fairly sure Richmond are going to regret letting him go in a year or two from now when Riewoldt has retired and Lynch is declining.

I think Richmond are going the Geelong rout and will look to top up each year with players they poach from other clubs. You can’t blame them as they were irrelevant for 3 decades and won’t want to return to the darkness

 

[GC2015]

Big shoutout to Chol who became just the third Gold Coast player ever to kick 40+ goals in a season with his five goals today. The only other Suns players to kick 40+ goals in a single season were Tom Lynch and Ben King

34

Ben King

Age

24

Ht

202cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.2

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

2.2

2star

M

3.5

4star

T

0.5

3star

G

1.3

5star

D

7.5

2star

K

5.6

2star

HB

1.9

1star

M

3.6

4star

T

0.3

1star

G

1.5

5star

D

6.8

2star

K

4.4

2star

HB

2.4

3star

M

3.2

4star

T

0.2

3star

G

1.0

4star

. Three games to go in the home and away season and Mabs sits on 43 goals, just four goals behind the second most ever kicked by a Sun (King with 47 last year).

Chol really has been everything we could have possibly hoped for (and then some) when we decided to go after him in the free agency period last year.

 

[Southern Sun]

Sometimes it's easy to forget he's only played 50 games. Love the way he's starting to really crash the packs. Will end up being one of our best recruits ever.

 

[The Kings Ransom]

I think Richmond are going the Geelong rout and will look to top up each year with players they poach from other clubs. You can’t blame them as they were irrelevant for 3 decades and won’t want to return to the darkness

It’s a great strategy to get good talented kids who have already had a couple of years in the gym getting their bodies ready for cents on the dollar.

 

[MarcLocksCrustySock]

Someone needs more credit for picking this guy up. Gun.

 

[The Kings Ransom]

Big shoutout to Chol who became just the third Gold Coast player ever to kick 40+ goals in a season with his five goals today. The only other Suns players to kick 40+ goals in a single season were Tom Lynch and Ben King. Three games to go in the home and away season and Mabs sits on 43 goals, just four goals behind the second most ever kicked by a Sun (King with 47 last year).

Chol really has been everything we could have possibly hoped for (and then some) when we decided to go after him in the free agency period last year.

One of my end of seasons wishes published here earlier this week was having him get to 50 goals.

Still in the hunt. The 5 snags really helped.

Someone needs more credit for picking this guy up. Gun.

This week he kicked a goal from a lead, from getting ‘out the back’, from winning a free kick, from 2 contested marks.

We know he can gather and finish in open play.

When you can score in multiple different ways, you really do become a dangerous forward.

 

[The Kings Ransom]

He's also continuing to improve toward the back half of the year.

First 10 rounds
8 possessions, 2.6 marks, 1.4 contested marks, 2.0 goals

Next 9 rounds
8.1 possessions, 4 marks, 1.7 contested marks, 2.5 goals

Probably needed to spell Witta a bit more early in the season. Seems to be playing less ruck recently.
Certainly sticking his marks better.

 

[GC2015]

One of my end of seasons wishes published here earlier this week was having him get to 50 goals.

Still in the hunt. The 5 snags really helped.

7 goals in 3 games seems very doable for Mabs. We've only ever had one player in one season kick 50 goals or more and that was Tom Lynch in 2016 when he kicked 66 goals and earned himself All Australian honours. Chol won't get All Australian honours this season but he does deserve an enormous amount of praise for his efforts this year, particularly if he hits the half century mark in three weeks from now. It's just really nice to see us recruit someone who was obviously criminally underrated and he comes home to Queensland where he's really thrived for us right from the beginning of the season. It's a feel good story all round!

This week he kicked a goal from a lead, from getting ‘out the back’, from winning a free kick, from 2 contested marks.

We know he can gather and finish in open play.

When you can score in multiple different ways, you really do become a dangerous forward.

He'd be an absolute nightmare to defend. You almost need a ruckman just to match him for height but then you see how quick he is and you know there's virtually no player in the AFL over 200cm that could keep up with him. Imagine how good he'll be when he does a proper preseason and builds a tank that's capable of running out of a full game!

Probably needed to spell Witta a bit more early in the season. Seems to be playing less ruck recently.
Certainly sticking his marks better.

Dew and co must have realised around the halfway point of the season that Mabs was going to be our leading goalkicker this season and they needed to play him more exclusively in the forward line. It's going to be really interesting to see how our coaching staff juggle the load next year with both King and Chol presumably spending all or most of their time in the forward line and potentially Casboult no longer being at the club. Wittsy is getting older and will obviously need less time in the ruck going forward but I also wouldn't want to throw either of our two main scoring avenues in Chol or (god forbid) King in the ruck. We may need to find a third tall in the mould of Dan McStay who can play as a backup ruck and I would say Joel Jeffrey is not a candidate for that role.