Richmond superstar Dion Prestia will reach the 250-game milestone this Sunday, when the Tigers face Hawthorn at the MCG.

Prestia has had an enormous impact at Tigerland since joining the Club from Gold Coast during the 2016 AFL trade period. He played a key role in Richmond’s dramatic revival from 13th place on the ladder in 2016, to a drought-breaking premiership the following season, and two further flags over the course of the next three years.

Prestia, who played 95 games in six years with the Gold Coast Suns, requested a trade to the Tigers at the end of the 2016 season.

Following some protracted negotiations, he was eventually traded for pick six in the 2016 National Draft, plus an exchange of second-round selections.

In his inaugural season at Richmond, Prestia averaged 23.2 disposals across the 22 games he played, providing the team’s midfield with a significant boost.

He was one of the Tigers’ best in the Grand Final triumph over Adelaide, finishing with 27 disposals, 12 contested possessions, four inside-50s, five clearances, one goal, eight score involvements and 549 metres gained.

Two years later, with Richmond winning the premiership again, crushing Greater Western Sydney in the Grand Final, Prestia capped a superb season by taking out his inaugural Jack Dyer Medal.

He averaged 27.4 disposals per game that season and generated great drive for the Tigers through the midfield, with his hard, two-way running, ball-winning ability, composure and creativity.

Prestia produced one of his best performances that season in the preliminary final win against Geelong – 28 disposals, 13 contested possessions nine inside-50s, seven clearances, two goals and 744 metres gained.

In the 2019 premiership-decider against the Giants, he again was influential, picking up 22 disposals.

The following year, Prestia sustained a severe syndesmosis injury in the Round 5 clash with Melbourne and was sidelined for the rest of the COVID-stricken home-and-away season. But he returned in time for the finals and was his customary productive self, as Richmond recovered from a qualifying final loss to Brisbane to win three straight finals and again capture the premiership.

In the historic 2020 Grand Final at the Gabba against Geelong, Prestia finished with 14 disposals, three inside-50s, four clearances, five tackles and two crucial goals.

Prestia continued his fine form in 2022. He produced the best Brownlow Medal performance of his 12-season AFL career, polling 19 votes – six more than his previous best result in the game’s most prestigious individual award, which was 13 while playing for Gold Coast in 2014.

What made Prestia’s 2022 Brownlow effort even more meritorious was the fact that he missed four games because of injury and was subbed out early in three other matches.

Prestia polled the full three votes in five matches in 2022 – Round 4 vs Western Bulldogs, Round 9 vs Hawthorn, Round 10 vs Essendon, Round 14 vs Carlton and Round 23 vs Essendon.

In 2023, Prestia would reach the 200-game milestone in style, putting together a vintage performance to knock off rivals Geelong on the Friday night stage in Round 9.

Prestia set the tone early with a stunning goal from deep outside 50 in the first term, which bounced through much to the joy of the Punt Road End. He amassed 19 disposals, 354 metres gained, six score involvements and three Brownlow votes, in a wonderful celebration of his career to that point.

Since 2024, Prestia has maintained an extremely high level of performance while battling a frustrating injury run at times. He averaged 22 disposals, 4.3 clearances, 8.5 contested possessions and 4.5 score involvements in 13 games in 2024, while in 12 games in 2025, those averages were 23, 4.4, 8.3 and 5.0.

However, Prestia’s impact goes beyond the on-field performance, with his football intelligence, experience and mastery making him a valuable resource for Richmond’s slew of rising youngsters. 

Prestia has embraced the role of mentor in recent times, helping guide and develop the next generation of Tiger midfielders, some that isn’t taken from granted by coach Adem Yze.

"He's gone out of the game within five minutes, but then he had an impact on the bench with our younger players," Yze said of Prestia, after this year’s Round 8 win over West Coast.

"He's got an eye for coaching, he's still got obviously a little bit of footy left in him, but the impact that he had on today's game in a different way was outstanding. 

"Listening to the way he was talking to our players and educating and going through vision, it gave me so much confidence that I didn't have to do it. I could just put my arm around the players and make sure that their energy and fight was at the level we required.”

That insight into Prestia’s impact during the Eagles win is an example of the type of legacy he is building and leaving at Tigerland, one that includes an incredible resume heading into game 250 this weekend.

Dion Prestia achievements

• 3x Richmond premiership player (2017, 2019, 2020)
• Jack Dyer Medal (2019)
• All-Australian Squad (2019)
• Maurie Fleming Medal (3rd place in Richmond’s Best & Fairest) (2022)
• Yiooken Award (Dreamtime Best on Ground) (2022)
• Richmond Life Member