Ivan Soldo

Ivan Soldo was born on April 14, 1996. He spent his early years in Canberra, Australia, and attended Daramalan College, completing his studies in 2013. Prior to playing Australian rules football, Soldo was a junior basketballer, representing the ACT in national tournaments at the under-16 and under-18 levels. His introduction to Australian rules football came in July 2014 after a trial with Richmond, where he was signed as a category-B rookie. This connection was established through his cousin, former Richmond ruckman Ivan Maric. Soldo played his first Australian rules football match in late July 2014 with the Northern Knights in the TAC Cup.

Soldo was officially drafted in December 2014 by Richmond with the 68th selection overall in the 2015 Rookie Draft. He spent his first two years at the club in the VFL, learning his craft with Richmond’s reserves side. In 2017, he was elevated to the senior list and made his AFL debut in Round 7, setting an AFL record for most hit-outs by a debutant with 42. He became an AFL premiership player with Richmond in 2019, playing a significant role in their Grand Final victory against Greater Western Sydney. During the 2019/20 off-season, Soldo received a Richmond life membership for his contribution to the 2019 premiership.

In 2020, Soldo suffered a serious knee injury, rupturing both the anterior cruciate ligament and medial ligament of his left knee, which resulted in him missing the entire 2021 season for rehabilitation. Following the 2023 season, Soldo was traded to the Port Adelaide Football Club in exchange for a future second-round draft pick. He continues his career as a ruckman, contributing to his new team.