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Ivan the adaptable
JESPER FJELDSTAD
January 21, 2007 12:15am
adelaide now
ADELAIDE tall Ivan Maric has predicted the extinction of the traditional ruckman – and is pushing himself tirelessly in a bid to become a bona fide forward when he is not contesting ball-ups.
Maric, 21, is expected to be the Crows' second ruckman behind Ben Hudson this season after the departure of Matthew Clarke to St Kilda and Rhett Biglands spending the year recovering from knee reconstruction.
But the former basketballer – he didn't take up competitive football until he was 16 – will spend the next few months equally focused on learning an alternative trade as he is developing his ruck skills.
Maric believes the traditional ruckman needs to evolve, the same way a wicketkeeper in cricket is now required to make runs to be whistled up for a game.
For Maric, that means blending ruck development with sharpening his skills as a key-position forward.
"I think the way the game is going teams are only going to use one ruckman and then throw in somebody like a Kenny McGregor for the last five minutes of a quarter to give him a rest," Maric said.
"That means I have to develop something else. I think the forward line is where Neil (Craig, Adelaide coach) wants us to learn how to play and I feel reasonably confident there.
"I don't want to be limited to one position – that could go against me."
Maric is expected to fill the crucial role of back-up to Hudson this season as the Crows seek to avenge two preliminary final losses and desperately try to pry open a premiership window for another season.
But as much as the Crows are in a hurry, Maric has been forced to deal with the patience required to become a ruckman, a craft few players master until their late 20s.
"I'm still getting over a few injuries from last year, just maturing," Maric said from the Crows' training camp in Canberra. "It's a bit of a frustrating time at the moment."
Maric has had to overcome tendonitis of a hamstring and continues to battle niggling injuries from last season, in which he stripped eight times for the Crows.
He recognises the opportunity ahead, but also the competition between him – Jonathon Griffin and John Meesen – for the guernsey of the No. 2 tap man.
But he said next year would be no easy gig.
"Because you're playing on bigger blokes, it takes its toll," Maric said. "It just takes a bit of time for us to get as big as them.
"There's definitely a great opportunity there but there are no guarantees I'll be playing. I have to prove myself and train well. I guess there's a bit more pressure there."
Victorian-bred Maric has an edge as he stages a tilt at a regular senior spot. His girlfriend, Adelaide Lightning basketballer Erin Phillips, is a regular sounding board.
"I do bounce ideas off her occasionally but most of the time I try to switch off when I get home," Maric said. "But if I want some advice or a different opinion I'll speak to her and I think she's the same with me. But she's played in a world championship and in America against the best in the world."
As well as Phillips there have been people within the club keen to help speed up Maric's development.
Among them have been Matthew Clarke, who will be with the Saints next year, and team-mates helping him settle into his new environs.
"Matty Clarke helped me heaps," Maric said. "We developed a really good relationship last year.
"Tyson Edwards, as well, helped me a lot. Him and Scotty Thompson. With Matthew it was mainly about ruck work – he's been through it all and had to deal with the time to develop.
"With Tyson and Scotty it was more about settling in. Scott's been through it all, the homesickness and that, when he spent a few years in Melbourne."
Then, the uniting theme. Maric said the failures of the past two seasons – two preliminary final losses to West Coast – was always at the back of the Crows' minds as they endure another pre-season.
"We just want to take that extra step," Maric said. "Nobody's satisfied. Last year and the year before, we were so close. We just need to improve our game a little bit.
"We talk about it; we're not going to hide from it."
Away from the game, Maric is still searching for another outlet. Last year, he helped coach an under-10 basketball team at Woodville and realised he needed something outside of football.
He is now tossing up study or part-time work to fill his week, knowing he needs more than football on his weekly schedule.
"I haven't decided on anything yet but I do need to do something," Maric said. "I need that balance – I think I'll go crazy otherwise."
JESPER FJELDSTAD
January 21, 2007 12:15am
adelaide now
ADELAIDE tall Ivan Maric has predicted the extinction of the traditional ruckman – and is pushing himself tirelessly in a bid to become a bona fide forward when he is not contesting ball-ups.
Maric, 21, is expected to be the Crows' second ruckman behind Ben Hudson this season after the departure of Matthew Clarke to St Kilda and Rhett Biglands spending the year recovering from knee reconstruction.
But the former basketballer – he didn't take up competitive football until he was 16 – will spend the next few months equally focused on learning an alternative trade as he is developing his ruck skills.
Maric believes the traditional ruckman needs to evolve, the same way a wicketkeeper in cricket is now required to make runs to be whistled up for a game.
For Maric, that means blending ruck development with sharpening his skills as a key-position forward.
"I think the way the game is going teams are only going to use one ruckman and then throw in somebody like a Kenny McGregor for the last five minutes of a quarter to give him a rest," Maric said.
"That means I have to develop something else. I think the forward line is where Neil (Craig, Adelaide coach) wants us to learn how to play and I feel reasonably confident there.
"I don't want to be limited to one position – that could go against me."
Maric is expected to fill the crucial role of back-up to Hudson this season as the Crows seek to avenge two preliminary final losses and desperately try to pry open a premiership window for another season.
But as much as the Crows are in a hurry, Maric has been forced to deal with the patience required to become a ruckman, a craft few players master until their late 20s.
"I'm still getting over a few injuries from last year, just maturing," Maric said from the Crows' training camp in Canberra. "It's a bit of a frustrating time at the moment."
Maric has had to overcome tendonitis of a hamstring and continues to battle niggling injuries from last season, in which he stripped eight times for the Crows.
He recognises the opportunity ahead, but also the competition between him – Jonathon Griffin and John Meesen – for the guernsey of the No. 2 tap man.
But he said next year would be no easy gig.
"Because you're playing on bigger blokes, it takes its toll," Maric said. "It just takes a bit of time for us to get as big as them.
"There's definitely a great opportunity there but there are no guarantees I'll be playing. I have to prove myself and train well. I guess there's a bit more pressure there."
Victorian-bred Maric has an edge as he stages a tilt at a regular senior spot. His girlfriend, Adelaide Lightning basketballer Erin Phillips, is a regular sounding board.
"I do bounce ideas off her occasionally but most of the time I try to switch off when I get home," Maric said. "But if I want some advice or a different opinion I'll speak to her and I think she's the same with me. But she's played in a world championship and in America against the best in the world."
As well as Phillips there have been people within the club keen to help speed up Maric's development.
Among them have been Matthew Clarke, who will be with the Saints next year, and team-mates helping him settle into his new environs.
"Matty Clarke helped me heaps," Maric said. "We developed a really good relationship last year.
"Tyson Edwards, as well, helped me a lot. Him and Scotty Thompson. With Matthew it was mainly about ruck work – he's been through it all and had to deal with the time to develop.
"With Tyson and Scotty it was more about settling in. Scott's been through it all, the homesickness and that, when he spent a few years in Melbourne."
Then, the uniting theme. Maric said the failures of the past two seasons – two preliminary final losses to West Coast – was always at the back of the Crows' minds as they endure another pre-season.
"We just want to take that extra step," Maric said. "Nobody's satisfied. Last year and the year before, we were so close. We just need to improve our game a little bit.
"We talk about it; we're not going to hide from it."
Away from the game, Maric is still searching for another outlet. Last year, he helped coach an under-10 basketball team at Woodville and realised he needed something outside of football.
He is now tossing up study or part-time work to fill his week, knowing he needs more than football on his weekly schedule.
"I haven't decided on anything yet but I do need to do something," Maric said. "I need that balance – I think I'll go crazy otherwise."
