Tim Taranto was recruited by Richmond this trade period with the Tigers addressing a need (or two) in their midfield.
The midfielder will make his way to Punt Road alongside his former GWS teammate Jacob Hopper after his new club raided the Giants’ on-ball brigade.
After six years in the orange and charcoal, Taranto will don the black and yellow where he will step into a midfield unit led by the likes of Dion Prestia, Trent Cotchin, Dustin Martin and Shai Bolton.
It is the first name in that group that really stands out when assessing Taranto’s career to date.
Just like Taranto, Prestia was recruited from an expansion club after spending six years with that team.
The similarities don’t end there.
Take a look at the comparison between Prestia and Taranto below:
The deals
- Prestia (and pick 24) cost the Tigers Pick 6 (1751 points) and a future 2nd-round pick which became Pick 38 (465 points) = 2216 draft points.
- Taranto cost the Tigers Pick 12 (1268 points) & Pick 19 (948 points) = 2216 draft points.
Stage of career
- Prestia, aged 24, joined the Tigers from Gold Coast (in late 2016) after six seasons with the Suns.
- Taranto, aged 24, joins the Tigers from GWS after six seasons with the Giants.
Games played
- Prestia played 95 games for the Suns.
- Taranto played 114 games for the Giants.
Average disposals
- Prestia averaged 23.5 disposals for the Suns.
- Taranto averaged 23.4 disposals for the Giants.
Average clearances
- Prestia averaged 4.4 clearances for the Suns.
- Taranto averaged 4 clearances for the Giants.
Average tackles
- Prestia averaged 4.4 tackles for the Suns.
- Taranto averaged 5.3 tackles for the Giants.
Average inside 50s
- Prestia averaged 3.3 inside 50s for the Suns.
- Taranto averaged 3.6 inside 50s for the Giants.
Average contested possessions
- Prestia averaged 9.5 contested possessions for the Suns.
- Taranto averaged 9.5 contested possessions for the Giants.
Brownlow votes
- Prestia polled 23 Brownlow votes for the Suns. Average of 0.24.
- Taranto polled 33 Brownlow votes for the Giants. Average of 0.32.
Disposal efficiency
- Prestia had a disposal efficiency of 68% for the Suns.
- Taranto had a disposal efficiency of 63% for the Giants.
Best and fairest results
- Prestia’s best B&F finish for the Suns was second in 2013, his third season. He finished top 10 for the Suns on three occasions.
- Taranto’s best B&F finish for the Giants was first in 2019, his third season. He finished top 10 for the Giants on three occasions.
Some critics might pot Prestia for not getting on the park consistently enough due to soft tissue injuries, but the results are fairly clear.
He has played in three premierships for the Tigers, winning a best and fairest in a premiership season in 2019. (Coincidentally, it was the same season as Taranto won the B&F for the Giants in the same year the pair faced off in the Grand Final).
Prestia is seen by many as Richmond’s most important player overall, let alone most important midfielder.
While it’s hard to compare two different humans, there is no denying that the numbers posted by Taranto in his first six seasons in the AFL are uncannily similar to those of Prestia.
Hopefully, for Tigers fans, the former Giant has a similar impact.