Gold Coast Suns key forward Mabior Chol appears an available asset this off-season after receiving limited senior opportunity on the Sunshine Coast in 2023.
With former Richmond mentor Damien Hardwick taking the reins as the Suns' new head man, Chol could well be on his way out, with a pair of clubs -- the Adelaide Crows and Brisbane Lions -- reportedly having shown interest in the left-footer.
While the Crows and Lions have been touted as potential landing spots, they're not the only clubs that could benefit from his possible inclusion.
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Mostly plying his trade in the VFL this year, Chol was a standout for the Suns' reserves, booting 36 goals in 15 games, including an impressive five goals in Gold Coast's preliminary final victory against Box Hill to progress to this weekend's Grand Final.
In his first season with the Suns last year, the ex-Tiger kicked 44 goals in 22 games. Despite that two-goal-per-game campaign, the 26-year-old managed a mere eight senior outings in 2023, having been demoted to the VFL level for the majority of the season.
Chol, stuck behind ex-Blues veteran Levi Casboult and returning staple Ben King, was evidently not a crucial piece in Stuart Dew's plans early in the season. His absence at the senior level was only exemplified by the interim coach Steven King, who, following Dew's dismissal, selected him just twice to conclude the home-and-away season.
With former acquaintance Hardwick now in the fold on the Gold Coast, Chol's playing future at the Suns becomes even murkier, as, at Punt Road, Chol was never a best-22 regular.
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With key-position forwards always presenting as in-demand commodities, could Chol be on the move to bigger and better things in 2024? Here are five clubs that could use his services.
2. St Kilda
Though the Saints have bonafide key forward Max King in their arsenal, concerns surrounding his injury and form may influence the club to target another tall option this off-season.
It's already well known that King's twin brother, Ben, is off-contract with the Gold Coast Suns next year, having been linked with a move to Moorabbin.
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The need for another key-position talent to aid Max is apparent.
The Saints' small forward duo Jack Higgins and Dan Butler apply plenty of forward-half defensive pressure in addition to their talents as goalsneaks. However, the presence of another tall target to be able to rely on would remove some burden from the two smalls' shoulders.
If St Kilda is to encounter more King injury absences going forward, the potential addition of Chol could alleviate the added pressure to the aforementioned small-forward pair.
Inside-50 entries, the quality of those deliveries, and the lack of genuine targets represented a number of St Kilda's main issues during the club's disappointing elimination final exit at the hands of the Giants. Particularly in the absence of Tim Membrey, extra key-position depth would certainly have aided Ross Lyon's cause.
The Saints should look to the previous successes of teams possessing two domineering key forwards: Geelong in 2022 boasted the lethal Cameron and Hawkins, the 2019 and 2020 Tigers trotted out Riewoldt and Lynch, even as far back as the late 2000s and early 2010s; the Saints possessed the tantalising duo of Nick Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke.
