If Dion Prestia was a race-horse, you’d want to put your money on him first-up from a spell.

The triple Richmond premiership star midfielder yet again made a seamless return to AFL football in the Round 12 match against Greater Western Sydney at ENGIE Stadium following a lengthy stint on the sidelines with an Achilles injury.

In his first senior game for the Tigers this season, after playing the previous week at VFL level, Prestia finished with a team-high 31 disposals, 13 contested possessions, seven clearances, three rebound-50s, one goal, a game-high nine score involvements, five intercepts, five tackles and 381 metres gained.

Prestia has an impressive record at Tigerland of performing really strongly in his first game back from a medium/long-term injury.

Last year, he returned after two months out in a match against the Western Bulldogs at the MCG and had 23 disposals and 11 contested possessions, with three clearances, one goal, five score involvements and 278 metres gained.

Later that season, following a month out, he lined up against Greater Western Sydney at the MCG and had 27 disposals, three inside-50s, four clearances, four score involvements and 288 metres gained.

In 2021, Prestia, after missing nearly two months because of injury, had 19 disposals, 11 contested possessions, three inside-50s, three clearances, four score involvements and 229 metres gained in his comeback match against Adelaide at ENGIE Stadium.

Then, in Round 20 that season, following just over a month on the sidelines, he had 31 disposals, 10 contested possessions, four inside-50s, five intercepts, nine score involvements and 371 metres gained against Fremantle at Optus Stadium.

The season before then (2020), when Richmond won its third premiership in four years, Prestia returned to the playing field for the qualifying final against Brisbane at the Gabba after a three-month absence with injury and had 20 disposals, seven contested possessions, three inside-50s and 223 metres gained.

And, in 2018, Prestia came back against Sydney at Marvel Stadium following nearly two months out, and had 24 disposals, eight contested possessions, three inside-50s, three clearances, seven score involvements and 254 metres gained.

Richmond coach Adem Yze marvelled at Prestia’s capacity to not miss a beat in his return to AFL ranks.

“I commented to the boys about Dion looking like it was just like riding a bike for him, that he can just get back into AFL footy, get 30-odd possessions and just be so calm with the ball,” Yze said.

"But it’s not that. He’s put a lot of time and effort in. He committed to playing VFL footy last week, so he was ready. 

“And it was his leadership out there. I could see it, you could feel it, you could hear it. He’s a calming influence on our younger players.”