Dion Prestia

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TheSunGod

TheSunGod

Brownlow Medallist
Veteran 10k Posts
Aug 17, 2010
12,851
17,179
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Dion Prestia (Calder Cannons, VIC) - Pick 9 in the 2010 AFL National Draft.

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http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/102362/default.aspx

Height: 175cm
Weight: 82kg
DOB: 12/10/92
Club: Calder Cannons (Vic)

Kevin Sheehan says: Powerful inside midfielder/forward with excellent disposal skills and contested ball-winning ability. Averaged 28 disposals in the TAC Cup and represented Vic Metro in the 2010 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships with an injury curtailing his championships. He returned to his best form later in the season with the Cannons.

Stats (aggregate for 2010 U18 Championships)
Games K H D M G
H/O
2 17 9 26 7 2 2
In his own words
What type of player are you?
Honest, committed, loyal and encouraging team player. Can play inside or outside and can play different positions around the ground.

Which AFL player do you feel you resemble, and why?
David Rodan, has a good kick and uses his speed and agility well to break out of packs and takes on the game.

What are your strengths as a footballer?
Can play inside/outside, very athletic in all areas, good vision and decision making.

What parts of your game would you like to improve?
Kick more goals and finish off good work. Have more rebound 50s, pushing harder into defence.

Which AFL team do you support and how did you come to barrack for them?
Melbourne. My whole family barrack for Melbourne and grew up watching all of their games.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career so far, and why?
Dad. Driving me to every game and every training session. Also giving me advice on what I can do better and what I do well.
 
Really looking forward to seeing how Dion goes at AFL level. I can't see his perceived lack of height being a problem at all - if anything he'll earn a lot more free kicks for high tackles :p He's already 3 cm taller and 7kg heavier than Brent Harvey (who is a champ) and has a lot more penetration in his kicking than Boomer ever did.

Does anyone know where I could find some extra footage of Dion in action other than the AFL site profile?
 

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41_DionPrestia.jpg


DETAILS
JUMPER # 41
DOB 12.10.1992
HEIGHT 175
WEIGHT 82
FORMER CLUB Calder Cannons (VIC)


http://www.goldcoastfc.com.au/the-team/player-profiles/dion-prestia/

Hailing from Melbourne’s inner northern suburbs, Dion Prestia is a powerfully built but surprisingly quick and agile midfielder whose balanced combination of speed, endurance, strength and agility allow him to play inside and outside roles with equal aplomb. He’s also a terrific, penetrating kick and a quality tackler.

Unsurprisingly he was taken by the GC SUNS at Pick 9 in the 2010 National Draft.

Although his Under 18 National Championships with Vic Metro was cruelled by injury, Prestia had previously enjoyed a stellar 2010 TAC Cup season for Calder Cannons one in which he averaged 28 possessions a game.
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Where's the young guy gone the past couple weeks? IIRC I saw 'soreness' was an issue, but I'm just wondering if he'll get up for this week?
 
JCore said:
Where's the young guy gone the past couple weeks? IIRC I saw 'soreness' was an issue, but I'm just wondering if he'll get up for this week?
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I'd hope so, but it's hard to tell.

Bluey's rotations are a little tough to predict at this stage. Prestia was out in the Port game, and we won that one. So he may not be messing with the midfield much. I personally hope he does come back in. But we'll just have to wait and see I suppose.
 
Haha!

Dion is actually one of my favourite players to go at it, and I've been VERY impressed with him so far. Just as much as I have been with Swallow, McKenzie, etc.

Really strong core, as has been shown before by his ability to shake tackles. Is fast, too!

Took a little bit to get solid form, but I think he has a definite place in the side.
 
Prestia excites Bluey.

Guy McKenna predicts steep improvement from the majority of the GC SUNS second year players in 2012 but has singled-out Dion Prestia as the one who excites him most heading into the club's second AFL season.

The nuggety midfielder played 17 games last year, second only to Trent McKenzie and David Swallow among the club's teenagers.

The 19-year-old was taken with pick 9 in the 2010 Draft - move that raised some eyebrows at the time because he didn't have the reputation of some of the other draftees.

But McKenna feels the gamble has already paid off.

When quizzed about which player besides superstar skipper Gary Ablett excited him the most he was happy to nominate Prestia.

"I think Dion Prestia, from when I first saw him walk into the club, to where he is now, I mean, he's gone from a good junior footballer to a player fairly well down the path to being a fully fledged professional,’’ McKenna said.

"The growth in him this year has been unbelievable.''

Prestia was part of the side that competed in the GC SUNS historic Rd 2 debut against Carlton last year and stayed in the seniors for another two games before being relegated back to the reserves.

However, he finished the season stronger than most of the GC SUNS' youngsters, forcing his way back into the senior side in Rd 10 and playing all the remaining games bar one which he missed because of a slight Achilles injury.

McKenna said the club's two week training camp in Arizona over summer had helped the younger players make considerable fitness gains that should lead to improved performances on the battle field.

"We had 29 personal bests when we returned from Arizona, so I am sure that they will all improve in their own way shape or form,'' he said.

The GC SUNS are keen to add to their three wins of 2011 but the pass mark for a successful second season will be an improved ability to remain competitive within games for longer.

"Our ability to go from a half of football out to three quarters of football is going to give us a better opportunity to win games of football,'' he said.

"Our pre-season has shown we can do that, the small data we have got over the NAB Cup is pointing to us being able to do that, so ultimately that's the challenge and I believe we can achieve it.''
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Prestia eyes leadership opportunities.
Considered a future leader of the club, Dion Prestia is looking forward to further developing his leadership skills under star captain Gary Ablett during the fast approaching pre-season training campaign.

“I want to work on my leadership and skills over the off-season,” Prestia told goldcoastfc.com.au.

“I’ll go back, work on that, and also look at different areas of my game I can improve.”
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Prestia storms into hottest 100.
GOLD Coast midfielder Dion Prestia has surged into the top 100 in the Official AFL Player Ratings, brought to you by Gatorade, after notching the highest score of round one.

Prestia's 32 disposals, seven marks, four tackles and a goal in the Suns' victory over Richmond on March 15 equated to 27.1 player ratings points.

It was the best score of Prestia's 52-game career and saw him rise from 117 on the player ratings table to his new position of 93.
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