In a special summer series, Richmond Media is counting down the top 25 Tiger recruits from rival AFL clubs throughout the past five decades. Coming in today at No. 3 is Dion Prestia.
Gun midfielder Dion Prestia played a key role in Richmond’s dramatic revival from 13th place on the ladder in 2016 to a drought-breaking premiership the following season and two further flags over the course of the next three years.
Prestia, who had played 95 games in six years with the Gold Coast Suns, requested a trade to the Tigers at the end of the 2016 season.
Following some protracted negotiations, he was eventually traded for pick six in the 2016 national draft, plus an exchange of second-round selections.
In his inaugural season at Richmond, Prestia averaged 23.2 disposals across the 22 games he played and provided the team’s midfield with a significant boost.
He was one of the Tigers’ best in the Grand Final triumph over Adelaide, finishing with 27 disposals, 12 contested possessions, four inside-50s, five clearances, one goal, eight score involvements and 549 metres gained.
Two years later, with Richmond winning the premiership again, crushing Greater Western Sydney in the Grand Final, Prestia capped a superb season by taking out his inaugural Jack Dyer Medal.
He averaged 27.4 disposals per game that season and generated great drive for the Tigers through the midfield with his hard, two-way running, ball-winning ability, composure and creativity.
Prestia produced one of his best performances that season in the preliminary final win against Geelong – 28 disposals, 13 contested possessions nine inside-50s, seven clearances, two goals and 744 metres gained.
In the 2019 premiership-decider against the Giants, he again was influential, picking up 22 disposals.
The following year, Prestia sustained a severe syndesmosis injury in the Round 5 clash with Melbourne and was sidelined for the rest of the COVID-stricken home-and-away season. But he returned in time for the finals and was his customary productive self, as Richmond recovered from a qualifying final loss to Brisbane to win three straight finals and again capture the premiership.
In the historic 2020 Grand Final at Brisbane’s Gabba stadium against Geelong, Prestia finished with 14 disposals, three inside-50s, four clearances, five tackles and two crucial goals.
Prestia continued his fine form last year. He produced the best Brownlow Medal performance of his 12-season AFL career, polling 19 votes – six more than his previous best result in the game’s most prestigious individual award, which was 13 while playing for Gold Coast in 2014.
What made Prestia’s 2022 Brownlow effort even more meritorious was the fact he missed four games because of injury and was subbed out early in three other matches.
Despite a frustrating injury run at times with the Tigers, Prestia has more than justified the Club’s decision to recruit him, maintaining an extremely high level of performance, and averaging 24.3 disposals per match in his 97 games.
