1. Dion Prestia was born on 12 October 1992 and is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League.
91 Facts About Dion Prestia
1. 2.
Dion Prestia previously played 95 games over six seasons with the Gold Coast Suns, after being drafted to the club in the first round of the 2010 draft and being a member of the club's inaugural AFL side in 2011.
3.
Dion Prestia grew up in Melbourne's inner-northern suburbs, playing for the West Lalor Junior Football Club in the Diamond Valley Football League before moving to the Greenvale Football Club in the Essendon District Football League.
4.
In 2009 Dion Prestia began playing with the Calder Cannons in the TAC Cup.
5.
Dion Prestia was a member of the club's premiership side that season and playing in 10 games total across the year.
6.
Dion Prestia held averages of 24 disposals, three marks and three tackles per game.
7.
Dion Prestia returned to the club in 2010, again playing a key role on the way to premiership glory.
8.
Dion Prestia was a standout performer in the preliminary final and played a starring role in the club's Grand Final victory, kicking a goal and recording 36 disposals and eight clearances.
9.
Dion Prestia finished the season having played nine matches with averages of 28 disposals, four marks, five tackles and a goal per game.
10.
Dion Prestia was the runner-up in the club's best and fairest award, the Robert Hyde Medal.
11.
Dion Prestia placed 11th in the Morrish Medal, the award given to the league's best and fairest player.
12.
Dion Prestia was further recognised for his contribution to the club, when in 2015 he was selected in the Cannons' "Team of the First 20 Years".
13.
Dion Prestia was selected to represent the Victorian Metropolitan side at the national Under 18 championships in 2010.
14.
Dion Prestia's tournament was short-lived however, as despite recording 21 disposals in the opening game of the tournament, a torn hamstring sustained in his second match would see him ruled out for the remainder of the series.
15.
Dion Prestia attended high school at Assumption College in the Victorian town of Kilmore.
16.
Dion Prestia was drafted by the Gold Coast with the club's fifth selection and the ninth selection overall in the 2010 AFL National Draft.
17.
Dion Prestia made his AFL debut in the club's inaugural AFL match, against Carlton in round 2 of the 2011 season.
18.
Dion Prestia played three straight matches before spending six weeks away from the club's senior side.
19.
Dion Prestia returned the team in round 10 and played in all of the next 14 consecutive matches.
20.
Dion Prestia kicked his first career goal in round 11 against West Coast and played in his first win in round 17 against Richmond.
21.
Dion Prestia finished the season having played 17 matches and recording 16.5 disposals per game.
22.
Dion Prestia played the first nine matches of the season in 2012, including in round 6 where he recorded 32 disposals, his first time breaking the 30 touch barrier.
23.
Dion Prestia suffered a hamstring injury early into the club's round 19 loss to Melbourne.
24.
Dion Prestia spent time on the sidelines as a result and would not return to play again in 2012.
25.
In round 9 Dion Prestia was named among the Suns' best by AFL Media, with 32 disposals and a goal in the 26 point loss to Hawthorn.
26.
Dion Prestia set a career best in tackles in round 10, when he laid 12 against Geelong in the loss at Kardinia Park.
27.
Dion Prestia was named in the bests in round 11, this time with 28 disposals against North Melbourne.
28.
Dion Prestia played a stand-out role in the club's round 14 match against Adelaide.
29.
Dion Prestia recorded a career-best 42 disposals and a career-best two goals in the match.
30.
Dion Prestia received three Brownlow votes for the match, his first such best-on-ground for his career.
31.
Dion Prestia played his 50th career match in round 22, in a loss to St Kilda at Etihad Stadium.
32.
Dion Prestia placed second behind club captain Gary Ablett Jr.
33.
Dion Prestia had an outstanding pre-season ahead of 2014, showing real determination in training and recording a personal best in the two kilometre time trial.
34.
Dion Prestia was later elected by his peers to join the group and to serve as one of the club's vice-captains.
35.
Dion Prestia began the season in exceptional form, recording 20 or more disposals in each of his first 13 matches.
36.
Dion Prestia had more than 30 disposals in five of those 13.
37.
Dion Prestia was a stand-out in the club's round 10 victory over Western Bulldogs, with 25 disposals, five tackles and six marks to his name.
38.
Dion Prestia received best-on-ground honours with three votes in the Brownlow Medal tally that round.
39.
Dion Prestia was instrumental in round 13, where his 11 disposal quarter helped the Suns compete in an ultimately narrow loss to St Kilda.
40.
Dion Prestia gathered 25 or more disposals in 15 of those games, and ranked number one at the club for total disposals, equal-first for clearances and third for inside-50s, all while kicking a career best 10 goals.
41.
Dion Prestia placed third in the club's best and fairest award for his efforts in the superb season.
42.
Dion Prestia played his first football that year in the club's final NAB Challenge hit-out, showing no signs of his injury with 29 disposals in the draw against the Brisbane Lions.
43.
In round 1 Dion Prestia was the Suns' best-on-ground, picking up 29 disposals and a Brownlow vote in the Suns' loss to Melbourne.
44.
Dion Prestia had played in all eight matches to that point in the season, recording equal-career bests in average disposals and goals per game as well as leading the competition for total clearances.
45.
One day after the Suns' last game of the season, Dion Prestia announced publicly that he was seeking a trade to a Melbourne-based club.
46.
Dion Prestia had played the eighth most games of any Suns player, and was the club's second highest disposal and clearance getter and third highest tackle getter across his time there.
47.
Dion Prestia was officially traded to Richmond on 19 October 2016, in exchange for a first round draft selection and a swap of second round picks.
48.
Dion Prestia spent much of his first Richmond pre-season on light duties, still recovering from knee surgery underwent on the Gold Coast.
49.
Dion Prestia made his Richmond debut in the opening match of the season, Richmond's round 1 victory against Carlton at the MCG.
50.
Dion Prestia finished the match with a team-second 28 disposals as well as six clearances, five tackles and a goal.
51.
The 73,137 strong crowd was the largest Dion Prestia had ever played in front of, with the previous top of 49,069 coming in 2014 against Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval.
52.
Dion Prestia played his 100th career match in Richmond's round 5 win over Melbourne, recording 20 disposals in the process.
53.
Dion Prestia was held from playing in the club's round 7 match against the Western Bulldogs due to a hamstring injury.
54.
Dion Prestia returned two weeks later in a match against the GWS Giants at Sydney's Spotless Stadium in round 9.
55.
Dion Prestia recorded a season-best 35 disposals and nine marks in round 11's win over North Melbourne in addition to five clearances and five inside 50s.
56.
Dion Prestia was largely effective in the role, keeping Zorko to just 11 disposals, his second lowest tally of the season.
57.
Dion Prestia repeated his run-with role upon his return in round 20, this time against another All Australian midfielder, Hawthorn's Tom Mitchell.
58.
Meanwhile, Dion Prestia had 31 disposals himself, including 17 kicks and a goal.
59.
Dion Prestia turned in a starring performance in what would be a premiership winning side, contributing 25 disposals and a goal and earning two votes in the Norm Smith Medal.
60.
Dion Prestia finished the year having played 22 matches, the equal most of his career to that point.
61.
Dion Prestia ranked third at the club for clearances, fourth for average disposals and fifth for tackles.
62.
Dion Prestia placed tenth in the club's best and fairest count.
63.
Dion Prestia missed both of Richmond's JLT Community Series pre-season matches as a result despite aiming for a return in the second match of the series.
64.
Dion Prestia was impressive in that match, recording 19 disposals, eight tackles and five clearances on less than three quarters of game-time.
65.
Dion Prestia was named to make his return to AFL football in round 3 but was withdrawn from the team just a day later when he suffered a fresh glute strain at training, reportedly unrelated to his earlier soft-tissue injuries.
66.
Dion Prestia finally made his AFL return in round 4, but was reduced to limited minutes as a precautionary measure.
67.
Dion Prestia remained in the side for a further three weeks including in round 7 where he sustained a minor calf injury and sat out the closing stages of that match.
68.
Dion Prestia suffered a broken rib in the match that followed, forcing him to miss one week with the injury.
69.
Dion Prestia finished the year having played 13 matches and placed 11th in the club's best and fairest count despite that low tally.
70.
Dion Prestia played in each of the club's two pre-season matches before turning in a 20 disposal and seven tackle performance in the season's opening match against Carlton at the MCG.
71.
Two weeks later he recorded 33 disposals and was named by The Age as Richmond's best in a round 3 loss to Greater Western Sydney From the following week forward, Dion Prestia assumed a larger leadership role in the Richmond midfield, following the loss of Dustin Martin to suspension in round 4 and the longer-term injury loss of captain Trent Cotchin that same week.
72.
In round 5 Dion Prestia was named as the game's second best player with seven votes in the Coaches Association player of the year award following a team-high 32 disposals and game highs in inside 50s and clearances.
73.
Dion Prestia added a further six votes the following week, before adding to that with two and four votes in wins in rounds 9 and 10 respectively.
74.
Dion Prestia continued to play good football through the club's mid-season bye, having played all 13 matches and averaging 25.6 disposals per game.
75.
Dion Prestia was best on ground in a win over his old side the Suns the following week, recording team highs in disposals and tackles while contributing eight clearances and seven score involvements to earn nine of a possible ten coaches votes.
76.
Dion Prestia was leading the competition for loose-ball gets and ranked ninth for pressure acts.
77.
In round 19 Dion Prestia led Richmond to another win with 35 disposals, equaling his best tally in three years at the club.
78.
Dion Prestia was second best afield with seven coaches votes and 31 disposals against Melbourne in round 20 before earning best afield with nine coaches votes and a team of the week berth in his 150th AFL match the following week.
79.
At season's end Dion Prestia was named in the squad of 40 players in the running for All-Australian selection that year, though ultimately went unselected in the final team.
80.
Dion Prestia earned eight Brownlow Medal votes that regular season, placed eighth in The Age's Footballer of the Year award and equal 15th in the coaches association award.
81.
Dion Prestia was awarded the Richmond club best and fairest at season's end, after polling votes in every match of the season and recording the top possible score in each of the last eight matches of the season.
82.
Dion Prestia was named as the league's eighth best midfielder and the ninth best player overall in the Herald Sun chief football reporter Mark Robinson's list of the league's best players in 2019.
83.
Ahead of the 2020 season, Dion Prestia was labelled by the AFL's statistical partner Champion Data as an 'elite' midfielder, the top category for his position.
84.
Dion Prestia featured in each of the next three matches, before sustaining a serious syndesmosis ankle injury in round 5's win over Melbourne.
85.
Dion Prestia stayed in Melbourne to undergo surgery on the ankle in the week that followed, while his teammates relocated to the Gold Coast as a result of a virus outbreak in Melbourne.
86.
Dion Prestia was among Richmond's best players with 20 disposals in a first week qualifying final loss to the Brisbane Lions, before adding one goal in a semi-final victory over St Kilda the following week.
87.
Dion Prestia became a three-time premiership player the following week, collecting 14 disposals and kicking two goals including the first of the match in Richmond's 31-point victory over Geelong.
88.
Dion Prestia bested that output in round 2, earning seven coaches votes as second-best afield with a team-high 29 disposals, four clearances and fourt tackles.
89.
Dion Prestia was substituted out of the games in the first quarter of round 3's loss to Sydney, after sustaining a hamstring strain that would rule him out for at least three weeks.
90.
Dion Prestia was later substituted out his side's round 12 win over Essendon due to hamstring tightness and despite some hope he would be fit to play the following week, he was ultimately unable to return until round 15.
91.
Dion Prestia is notable for his contested ball winning skill, his ability to break away from stoppages and for his defensive running ability prowess.