TARANTO PROVING MORE DOUBTERS WRONG WITH BROWNLOW SURGEHas anyone won a Brownlow Medal while not being one of the 150 best players in the comp?
Richmond’s Tim Taranto just keeps building into a tremendous season, inspiring the Tigers to a third straight win on Saturday night.
And you could argue he’s now the AFL’s in-form player.
Taranto is averaging 35.2 disposals, 7.6 clearances, 6.4 tackles and 1.8 goals over his last five games, putting him in the top few Brownlow contenders according to oddsmakers.
Because he has played an extra game compared to Nick Daicos, he also leads the AFL in disposals overall, though just a standard game from the Magpies young gun would see him regain the lead.
Of course Taranto is much more of a contested player than Daicos; the Tigers midfielder has had around 30 more disposals than the next-ranked player of his type, GWS’ Tom Green.
While the actual damage of his disposals was questioned in the early stages of the season he has turned that around, hurting opponents where it counts including with one of the daggers in the final term on Saturday night against St Kilda.
“You reckon he’ll be up there, in the Brownlow Medal race?” champion forward Eddie Betts asked on Fox Footy post-game.
Brisbane great Jonathan Brown replied: “If they win games in the back end of the year, no doubt ... he’s certainly been very good. And very consistent, most consistent Tigers performer this season.”
Taranto was of course excellent at times at the Giants, most notably in 2019 when he won a best and fairest in just his third season - and in a Grand Final year, no less. He also polled 15 Brownlow votes in 2021.
But it’s safe to say this is the year Taranto has emerged into the public consciousness as a genuine A-grader - partially because of Kane Cornes’ commentary, and partially because of Richmond being a more popular club than GWS... but also because he’s just been that damn good.
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