Career High SuperCoach Score: 144 Vs Carlton (2019)
Career High AFLFantasy Score: 156 Vs North Melbourne (2019)
Career High SuperCoach Average: 102.3 (2019)
Career High AFLFantasy Average: 112.5 (2019)
Impact on new club
If your a Richmond fan, the trading for Tim Taranto is excellent news. Not just because he’s a high calibre player, but because it means the club should buck the trend of embracing a full rebuild after a successful premiership era.
Taranto’s arrival is significant because it stalls any talk of rebuilding. Still, it also adds some significant strength that all too often depended on Dion Prestia’s health. Last year, Jayden Short and Shai Bolton were the clubs third and fourth most used players at centre bounces.
With Taranto now a staple alongside Prestia (and Hopper a likely addition), it will allow Richmond to use Short back as the rebounding defender. And, should they wish, Bolton can be used more as an explosive dynamic.
One of the appeals for Tim heading to Richmond wasn’t just for being at a ‘big Victorian club competing for finals,’ but rather the certainty that he’d be a first choice midfielder weekly. Even with his obvious presence as a forward, I can’t foresee the Tigers using him there beyond a rotational ‘resting.’ With a forward line that includes Tom Lynch, Jack Riewoldt, Noah Cumberland, Shai Bolton, Dustin Martin and Maurice Rioli, there is little to no need for him to be there regularly.
Impact on the old club
One of the biggest knocks on the Giants for years has been the abundance of midfielders and the inability play them all in their preferred positions. The departure of Tim Taranto and likely Jacob Hopper will ease some of the pressure to get strong balance into the midfield unit.
Immediately it should see Josh Kelly, Stephen Coniglio and Tom Green be the staple ‘big three’ of the midfield. The new coaching regime can then look at sprinkling in the likes of Harry Perryman, Lachie Whitfield, Callan Ward and even Toby Greene should they wish. Or give future early picks a go like Connor Stone and Finn Callaghan.
The Giants also hold four picks inside the top 20, including the high coveted pick three. The club could easily target a high end midfielder with some of these selections.
Regarding the new coaching regime, Adam Kingsley has already indicated that his philosophy is similar to that of how Richmond and more recently Collingwood have played. We should see a much more attacking and potentially lower volume of possession per goal ratio for the Giants under his leadership.
Fantasy Summary
This could be one of the most relevant player moves of the period for fantasy football coaches. Over multiple seasons at the Giants, the scoring pedigree of Tim Taranto has been on full display. When he’s been allowed to play heavily as a centre bounce midfielder, he’s shown over numerous years he can score.
He first emerged as a genuine premium when as a MID/FWD in his second season, he averaged 90 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam and 88 in SuperCoach. The following season in 2019, he emerged as a genuine premium when her averaged 112.5 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam and 102 in SuperCoach.
During this 2019 season, he scored fifteen AFLFantasy tons, seven of which over 130 highlighted his ability to deliver a scoring ceiling. That same season in SuperCoach, he registered a ton in thirteen matches.
He backed these scores up in 2021 when he averaged 108 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam and 97 in Superoach. Even last year, he averaged 111 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam and 106 in SuperCoach before being impacted by some role variations.
It’s quite simple if Taranto is allowed to be a centre bounce midfielder, he’s someone that should be on our radars. He still presents some value even in the Richmond, largely fantasy football purgatory system. Why? Because Tim is a strongly rounded midfielder. Not only is he a high volume accumulator, but he’s also a powerful tackler and a damaging forward of the ball in front of goals. His disposal efficiency is an area where he can be criticised, but in the Tigers system, where a ‘surge’ mentality of moving the ball forward is the focus, he should only succeed.
He’ll enter the season priced at 96 in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam; that’s still 10-15 points per game of value potentially embedded in. While in SuperCoach, he’s priced at 84. Again, 10-15 points per game unders what he should be able to deliver.
If he retains his MID/FWD status, he’ll be one of fantasy football’s most highly owned players next year. However, even as a midfielder only in AFLFantasy/DreamTeam, he still is someone to consider strongly.