Star inside midfielder Tim Taranto has won the 2023 Jack Dyer Medal.
Taranto capped an outstanding debut season with Richmond by capturing the Club’s prestigious Best and Fairest award at the Crown Palladium tonight.
He polled 68 votes to finish well ahead of Dustin Martin in second place on 54 votes, with Shai Bolton in third on 50 votes. Nick Vlastuin (fourth, 46 votes) and Daniel Rioli (fifth, 45 votes) rounded out the top five in tonight’s count.
One of Richmond's prized pair of recruits from Greater Western Sydney landed in last year's Trade Period, Taranto was a dominant force around the ball for the Tigers throughout 2023, finishing top 10 in the competition for total disposals (662), clearances (142) and tackles (154, a Club record).
The 25-year-old was awarded the maximum five Best and Fairest votes in a match on just three occasions, but in a testament to his high level of consistency at the coalface, he received 52 of a possible 65 votes between rounds five and 18 to race away with the award.
His five-vote games were:
Round 11 v Port Adelaide: 33 disposals, 12 contested possessions, six marks, seven clearances, four inside-50s, four rebound-50s, four goals, eight score involvements, seven tackles, 422 metres gained;
Round 13 v Fremantle: 35 disposals, 15 contested possessions, three marks, seven clearances, three rebound-50s, two goals, six score involvements, seven tackles, 214 metres gained;
Round 14 v St Kilda: 38 disposals, 18 contested possessions, six clearances, four inside-50s, one goal, four score involvements, four intercepts, 10 tackles, 411 metres gained.
Taranto is the first player to win the Jack Dyer Medal in their debut season after being recruited from a rival league club since Barry Rowlings in 1979, and adds to his 2019 Best and Fairest award won at Greater Western Sydney.
Martin, who won the Jack Dyer Medal in 2016 and 2017, produced another stellar season to finish runner-up after a strong finish, polling half of his votes in the final seven games he played.
It is the ninth time in his illustrious, 14-season career to date that Martin has finished on the podium following the vote count.
The Richmond champion received the Jack Titus Medal averaging 23.6 disposals, 9.8 contested possessions, 4.7 marks, 2.9 clearances, 5.0 inside-50s, 1.2 goals, 7.7 score involvements and 372.5 metres gained per match.
After earning All-Australian selection in 2022, Bolton followed up with more scintillating football this year to finish third and claim the Maurie Fleming Medal.
The brilliant 24-year-old recorded the most five-vote games throughout the season, with four, for his performances against West Coast in Round 8, Fremantle in Round 13, Sydney in Round 17 and North Melbourne in Round 23.
Bolton was the No.1 ranked player at Tigerland in 2023 for total inside 50s (125), goal assists (19), score involvements (161) and metres gained (10,362), and No.2 for disposals (500), contested possessions (223), clearances (93), tackles inside 50 (22) and goals (31).
Vlastuin returned to the top five of the vote count for the first time since finishing third in 2020, again showcasing the trademark traits that make him one of the competition’s best defenders.
Celebrated for his elite marking and intercept ability, the 29-year-old was ranked No.2 at the Club for marks (144), intercepts (172) and rebound 50s (116) in claiming the Fred Swift Medal.
After missing two matches with a corked leg, Vlastuin returned to produce consecutive five-vote games against Fremantle in Round 13 and St Kilda in Round 14.
The move of Rioli to a rebounding half-back role late in 2021 again paid dividends for player and club this season, as he won the Kevin Bartlett Medal for fifth place.
The dashing defender, who finished one vote behind winner Tom Lynch in last year's count, recorded career-high totals for the 2023 season in disposals (476), contested possessions (130), clearances (18) and defensive-half pressure acts (259).
Rioli was rewarded with maximum votes for his efforts in Round 1 v Carlton, Round 4 v Western Bulldogs and for a career-high 31 disposals against West Coast in Round 18.
Under the Jack Dyer Medal voting system all the team’s players on match day receive a rating from 0-5 based on their overall performance.
The match committee assesses each player’s offensive, defensive and contest impacts on the game.
After those game phases have been analysed, the 0-5 rating is given as a joint match committee decision.
Votes are not allocated for what the match committee deems a below-average performance.
2023 Jack Dyer Medal top 20 players
1st - Tim Taranto, 68
2nd - Dustin Martin, 54
3rd - Shai Bolton, 50
4th - Nick Vlastuin, 46
5th - Daniel Rioli, 45
6th - Liam Baker, 44
7th - Noah Balta, 43
8th - Dion Prestia, 42
Eq. 9th - Kamdyn McIntosh, 30
Eq. 9th - Nathan Broad, 30
11th - Toby Nankervis, 27
Eq. 12th - Trent Cotchin, 26
Eq. 12th - Jack Graham, 26
Eq. 14th - Dylan Grimes, 25
Eq. 14th - Jacob Hopper, 25
Eq. 14th - Jayden Short, 25
Eq. 14th - Tylar Young, 25
18th - Jack Riewoldt, 22
19th - Marlion Pickett, 21
20th - Rhyan Mansell, 19
