WHO’S FLYING

Each week throughout the 2023 season we will present Who’s Flying, a series of stories which will encapsulate everything that is good about our great game. It could be a star player, a coach who has inspired his men or a team that is – pardon the pun –flying. BRENDAN RHODES looks at Tim Taranto’s impact on his new club Richmond.

There’s no motivation like proving someone wrong.

And that’s what Tim Taranto is in the process of doing as he climbs quickly into the AFL’s upper echelon following a razz from Kane Cornes earlier this season.

At 25 and in his first season with Richmond despite six high-quality years at GWS that yielded a best and fairest in a Grand Final year, an AFL Rising Star nomination and two 22under22 team guernseys, the 2016 No. 2 draft pick has never been in better form.

He was already averaging 30.6 disposals, 6.6 clearances and 6.8 tackles in his first eight matches as a Tiger when Cornes declared he wasn’t in the best 150 players in the competition.

It was his impact with those numbers that was in question, given he had kicked just four goals and polled 23 AFL Coaches Association votes out of a possible 80.

Taranto responded with 28 possessions, six clearances and 12 tackles and a “hopefully 149th” comment in Richmond’s round nine win over Geelong – and that was his worst game.

He has followed up with 33 and a goal against Essendon, 33 and four goals against Port Adelaide (both losses), 36 and a goal in his first match against the Giants and last Saturday night 35 disposals, seven clearances, seven tackles and two goals against Fremantle.

The impact has been there for all to see as those past two games yielded remarkable interstate wins and showed the Tigers will get good value for money from the seven-year contract that still has wet ink on the signature line.

Overall, the career-best numbers in the past five weeks read averages of 33 disposals, 7.6 clearances and 7.0 tackles, plus eight goals and 29 coaches votes (two BOGs) to climb to equal fourth in the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year award.

Taranto is a genuine star of the competition – and there would be other clubs quietly hoping Cornes turns his attention to their stars soon!

Footy Fun Facts

The average AFL team would run 4968km per season – which is the distance between Victoria and Antarctica .

u FACT FILE

Born: April 7, 1990

Recruited from:

PEGS (Vic)/ Northern U18

Debut: Round 8, 2008, v Geelong

Height: 183cm

Weight: 85kg

Games: 299

Goals: 138

Brownlow Medal: career votes 146