Mabior Chol backs new club Hawthorn for a return to the finals

Hawthorn haven’t made the eight since 2018 and haven’t won a final since their premiership success in 2015, but fresh recruit Mabior Chol can’t see why that won’t change quickly.

Mabior Chol was traded to the Hawks in the off-season. Picture: Getty Images

Hawthorn’s star recruit Mabior Chol has vowed to bring new-found consistency to the forward line after the Hawks won the bidding war over the talented ruck-forward.

Chol revealed Sam Mitchell’s pitch about the club’s talented list was instrumental in choosing the Hawks over Adelaide, North Melbourne and Brisbane.

In his first interview since joining the Hawks on a four-year deal worth $1.8m – with a trigger for a fifth season – Chol told the Herald Sun the Hawks could make finals next year.

While no one doubts his potential after 44 goals for Gold Coast in 2022, his capacity to go missing during games frustrated a series of coaches.

It was one factor why the Suns were prepared to move him on, even after Damien Hardwick arrived as coach to reunite with a player who spent six years at Punt Road.

Chol said he and Mitchell had already worked on their plans to make him a more consistent player – and the groundwork will be laid on the training track over summer.

“I am self-aware of the lack of consistency I have had in the past and that’s something that I really want to improve on,” he told the Herald Sun.

“I want to go out there with every game knowing that I will be in the game for 120 minutes.

“That’s something that Sammy and I have been speaking really closely about.

“It will only get better with the amount of games I play over time. It is something I am really trying to nail down this off season. It’s challenging. You can’t go out there and expect to play the most perfect game. It starts with your training session.

Mabior Chol was traded to the Hawks in the off-season. Picture: Supplied

“I think that’s something that’s let me down a bit in the past – my training standard – and that’s something I’m really focusing on. I want to rock into training every day and perform on the training track and there is no doubt that will translate into (better performances) in games.”

A Hawthorn side that was so barren in offence when Mitch Lewis injured his ACL last year all of sudden has options.

Chol will join livewire premiership Pie Jack Ginnivan and the returning Jack Gunston as well as goalsneak Nick Watson, drafted in recent weeks.

He says that forward line should help a club keen to play finals for the first time since 2018.

“The last couple of years since Sam Mitchell started you could see they were developing a lot but as a group and with the list we have we are capable of playing some finals footy,” Chol said.

“We will definitely be putting our best foot forward to play finals and with the list we have, I don’t see why not.”

Chol’s 2023 didn’t go as planned at the Suns.

He believed he could back up his 44-goal 2022 season, but with Jack Lukosius thrown forward and Ben King back from an ACL tear, he was dropped by round 2.

He played only eight senior games after what then-coach Stuart Dew labelled a VFL “reset”, but by the VFL finals knew his future was uncertain.

He caught up several times with Hardwick, but it quickly became apparent a club about to draft key forward Jed Walter was happy to let Chol go.

“It was definitely hard with Kingy coming back and Luko and big Levi (Casboult),” Chol said.

Chol booted 44 goals in the 2022 season. Picture: Getty Images

“I was expecting to back the year up but with the lack of opportunities it didn’t go my way.

“Even though I was playing VFL I still wanted to show everyone that I was capable of playing some really good footy.

“I was very excited about Dimma. I have a lot of respect for the way he coaches and the way he goes about his footy, but that turned out to be a short hello.

“We had a few chats, especially with the trade stuff, but it’s a business for a football club. If they aren’t interested in you, you pretty much have to look somewhere else.”

The Hawks’ pitch was for Chol to play deep forward to allow Lewis to roam further afield at times, with the 26-year-old aware he would have to leave a state that has so much of his family in Brisbane.

“I still know I was capable of playing at the highest level so to have a few clubs interested was great,” Chol said.

“The Hawks were definitely number one on that list. After catching up with Sam Mitchell he pretty much showed me their playing list and they have so many young kids there.

“Hopefully I can bring something different to the table and support the likes of Mitch and now Gunston is back and Ginny too. I am pretty excited to work with those guys.”