Leading juniors coach Rob Harding has complete confidence that Richmond’s third pick in the 2024 national draft, exciting forward Taj Hotton, will bounce back strongly from the ruptured ACL he suffered early this year and become a top-class AFL player.

Hotton was starring for the Harding-coached Sandringham Dragons in the Coates Talent League at the start of the 2024 season, with one particular performance, against Oakleigh Chargers, a standout.

“Thirty-two (disposals) and four (goals) that game, and he did that largely from the midfield,” Harding said.

“With the Dragons guys, we’re pretty equal with how we rotate through midfield and forward. So, for him to have 32 and kick four from 60 percent game time as a midfielder and 20 percent forward, 20 percent off, was an incredible effort.

‘Taj had a really big off-season. Did his brother Olli’s program from the Saints . . . Came back fitter, stronger, and just so much more comfortable around the contest.

“I think his vision around the contest had already been really good, particularly coming from a basketball background. But for him to then turn that into being able to drive his legs out of traffic a little bit more, and just show great composure with the ball, I thought was incredible.

“I was disappointed for him when he got injured in that school training session (for Haileybury College) during the year. It was disappointing he didn’t get to play nationals and play in the Dragons finals series because he deserved to be in both. But I think he’s going to be a special talent at the next level.

“I think his game holds up against men already and he’s just going to continue to get better and better.

“The ACL’s been a real challenge for him, clearly, like it is for any player, but I think there’s enormous learning for him out of it in terms of professionalism, attention to detail, all those things.

“Sometimes a setback for a young man can help make them and I certainly think Taj is heading in that direction.

“He’s handled the whole thing exceptionally well and he’s been such a valued and loved teammate here at the Dragons.

“He very much felt like part of our premiership team, even though he wasn’t out there on the day. And that’s a credit to him and how he’s handled it all.”