Hotton hits the ground runningBy Henry Milic
RFC website
23 June 2025Richmond young gun, Taj Hotton, took to the field on Sunday for the first time in more than 12 months after recovering from an ACL injury sustained last year.
Hotton was selected as the number 12 pick in the 2024 draft by the Tigers and has since been working hard in rehab to get himself back to playing, a task he accomplished on Sunday as he played for Richmond's VFL side against Footscray.
Known for his silky skills with the ball, Hotton got off to a strong start to his career in the yellow and black, recording 14 disposals and two tackles in less than three-quarters of football.
Unfortunately, Hotton's return to play was spoiled by an in-form Bulldogs outfit, who defeated the Tigers by 45 points.
Richmond's VFL coach, Jake Batchelor, said Hotton showed off his versatility in his first outing.
“He is a great talent,” Batchelor said.
“Started him at quarter-time and he showed his strengths straight away.
“He is cat-like, he is in the air, he is on the ground, he is clean, he is evasive, and he has really good vision with his hands.”
Hotton made an instant impact, taking a strong leaping mark before linking up with Mykelti Lefau, who finished off the passage of play with a goal.
Batchelor added that he was impressed with Hotton's performance, considering he has been sidelined for the last year.
“The fact that he got through after 12/13 months off and played three-quarters of football, almost, was so pleasing for us,” Batchelor said.
“I hope that the Tiger fans got a great glimpse into what Taj is going to be like going forward into the future.”
https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/1812525/hotton-hits-the-ground-running