1. Mabior Chol was born on 29 January 1997 and is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League.
49 Facts About Mabior Chol
1. 2.
Mabior Chol previously played for the Richmond Football Club and the Gold Coast Suns.
3.
Mabior Chol was drafted by Richmond in the 2016 rookie draft and made his debut in round 23,2016.
4.
In 2019, Mabior Chol won a VFL premiership while playing with the Richmond reserves side.
5.
In October 2021, Mabior Chol moved from Richmond to the Gold Coast Suns as a free agent.
6.
Mabior Chol was born in present-day South Sudan, before his family fled to Egypt to avoid the ongoing civil war when he was two years old.
7.
In 2013 Mabior Chol played for the World 18 team at the national under 16 championships.
8.
Mabior Chol later entered the junior Queensland development pathway and the Brisbane Lions Academy where he would play in 2014 and 2015.
9.
Mabior Chol played for Aspley and the Lions' reserve team in the NEAFL in addition to the Lions' under 18 team.
10.
Mabior Chol was a strong performer in the 2015 AFL draft combine, recording the number one standing vertical jump score, as well as placing second in the running vertical jump test and fourth in the relative running vertical jump test.
11.
Mabior Chol came second to future teammate Daniel Rioli in the 30 metre repeat sprint test.
12.
Mabior Chol was drafted by Richmond with the club's second selection and 30th selection overall in the 2016 rookie draft.
13.
Mabior Chol first represented Richmond in the club's 2016 pre-season match against Fremantle.
14.
Mabior Chol failed to gain selection at senior level as a result though, instead playing a majority of his season with the club's reserves side in the VFL.
15.
Mabior Chol eventually made his AFL debut in Richmond's last match of the season, in round 23 against Sydney at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
16.
Mabior Chol thereby became the fourth player of Sudanese descent to play senior AFL football.
17.
Mabior Chol did however contribute in the reserves, kicking 13 goals over 22 matches including in the team's losing grand final.
18.
Mabior Chol played his first football of 2018 in February, travelling to Sydney to play in Richmond's AFLX squad for that year's exhibition series.
19.
Mabior Chol's performance earned the praise of Seven Network commentator Tim Watson, who predicted he would be playing AFL level football for Richmond by season's end.
20.
Mabior Chol eventually made his return to VFL football in Richmond's semi-final loss to Essendon, which brought to an end his and the club's reserves season after playing eight matches and kicking 11 goals.
21.
Mabior Chol had failed to earn a senior match that year and the club subsequently delisted him at the end of the season.
22.
Mabior Chol kicked five goals across the opening two rounds of the VFL season despite being switched through roles as a key forward, ruck and key back in those matches.
23.
Mabior Chol kicked his first AFL goal in that match while recording 13 hitouts and eight disposals in a ruck role shared with young teammate Noah Balta.
24.
Mabior Chol remained in the senior side following the mid-season bye and the return of Soldo in round 16, performing exceptionally in a forward role in which he kicked three goals and recorded 16 disposals and nine marks.
25.
Mabior Chol kicked a goal in each his next five matches at AFL level, continuing to impact as a forward and relief ruck despite averaging a modest eight disposals per game.
26.
Mabior Chol was named as an emergency in the club's first AFL final the following weekend, before kicking another two goals in the VFL preliminary final as Richmond's reserves won through to that league's grand final.
27.
Mabior Chol was an emergency again in the AFL preliminary final one week later, but was again unselected for the final team.
28.
Mabior Chol finished 2019 having played a career-best nine matches at AFL level and was Richmond's equal-leading goalkicker in the reserves, with 21 goals across 12 games including that year's VFL premiership.
29.
Mabior Chol played his first match for 2020 in the opening round of the AFL pre-season series, but was dropped back to reserves level for the second and final match following the return of the club's premier tall forwards, Jack Riewoldt and Tom Lynch, from State of Origin duties.
30.
Mabior Chol continued to earn AFL selection over coming weeks, including after the club was relocated to the Gold Coast in response to a virus outbreak in Melbourne.
31.
Mabior Chol kicked two goals against North Melbourne in round 7 and added another in round 9's win over the Western Bulldogs.
32.
Mabior Chol featured in each of the club's next four matches, including with two goals against Port Adelaide in round 12 and a goal in round 13's Dreamtime in Darwin win over Essendon.
33.
Mabior Chol was omitted from the club's round 14 side however, overlooked in place of returning ruck Toby Nankervis.
34.
Mabior Chol played a dual role as ruck and forward in the round 18 win over Adelaide, filling roles left by injured duo Ivan Soldo and Tom Lynch.
35.
Mabior Chol finished the season having played 11 of a possible 21 matches, kicking a total of eight goals.
36.
Mabior Chol was named a non-playing AFL emergency on several occasions over the opening two and a half months of the season, as the primary backup to lead ruck Toby Nankervis in the wake of a long-term knee injury to other senior ruck Ivan Soldo.
37.
In round 1, against the West Coast Eagles at Optus Stadium Mabior Chol kicked 2 goals, within a game that the Suns won, including a Goal of The Year nomination.
38.
Mabior Chol kicked 5 goals in their 3 point win against West Coast at Metricon Stadium.
39.
Mabior Chol finished the 2022 AFL season after playing 22 games and kicking 44 goals therefore awarding him Gold Coast's leading goalkicker of the season.
40.
Mabior Chol played his first game of the year in their Round 1 clash against Sydney.
41.
Mabior Chol had more action than against Sydney but still affective by only kicking a goal in their disappointing 10 point loss to Fremantle.
42.
Evermore, Mabior Chol kept his spot in the senior team for their Anzac Round game against North Melbourne at Heritage Bank Stadium.
43.
Mabior Chol played much better, kicking 2 goals and having 13 disposals in a 43 point win.
44.
Mabior Chol played 8 games in the senior team in 2023 kicking 10 goals in total.
45.
Mabior Chol took part in playing in Gold Coast's VFL premiership win.
46.
Mabior Chol was traded on the final day of trade period.
47.
Mabior Chol is notable for his athletic traits, including ground-level agility and a powerful vertical leap.
48.
In 2019 Mabior Chol began dying a strip of his black hair blond, resembling the Richmond guernsey design.
49.
Mabior Chol is an ambassador for The Growth Project, an organisation dedicated to fostering community engagement for young Melburnians of Sudanese heritage.