Tweet
So who's ready to send in 20c with me?
While his brother Daniel is already an All Australian with the Adelaide Crows, Western Bulldog Michael Talia is playing himself into a healthy new contract.
Talia's strong season continued on Sunday when he held Adelaide captain Taylor Walker to a goal and five marks in the Bulldogs' stunning 57-point win at Etihad Stadium.
While the Dogs had a tough afternoon against Hawthorn in round three, a week earlier Talia had held Richmond star Jack Riewoldt to only two goals, including just three disposals and one mark in the first half, as the Dogs surged to victory.
Talia was out of favour at the Whitten Oval last year, managing just the three senior matches, after receiving a Rising Star nomination in 2013.
However, under new coach Luke Beveridge, he has flourished, and provided the Dogs with the key-position tall they had craved to work alongside vice-captain Jordan Roughead.
The Dogs had hoped Talia would emerge through the pre-season, with Beveridge saying his club could no longer rely on veteran Dale Morris to be an undersized key-position option.
Morris was absent through injury on Sunday, while Talia was instrumental in curbing one of the league's most potent forwards.
Talia's ability to also provide rebound will help him personally, for he is off contract at the end of the season. Should his strong season continue, industry sources believe he could command between $400,000 and $450,000 a season.
His manager, James Pitcher, of Precision Sports and Entertainment Group, had preliminary discussions with the Dogs over summer, with both parties content to wait before opening serious negotiations.
While he is still learning his craft, with just 20 matches to his credit, Talia is the same height as Richmond's Alex Rance - regarded as the league's premier defender - but is three kilograms lighter. Talia is 22, while the out-of-contract Rance, set to command more than $700,000 a season, turns 26 in October.
Talia could decide to sign a short-term contract, if it's felt his improvement trajectory could continue to be at a rapid pace.
Heading into another test against Sydney on Saturday, Beveridge said he had been delighted with Talia's improvement.
"He's just getting better every week," Beveridge said.
"He's accumulating from an offensive point of view, but he's getting the job done defensive. We were really happy with his game.
"His teammates are working for him and getting into space for him. I'm really happy with the way he's using the footy."
While his brother Daniel is already an All Australian with the Adelaide Crows, Western Bulldog Michael Talia is playing himself into a healthy new contract.
Talia's strong season continued on Sunday when he held Adelaide captain Taylor Walker to a goal and five marks in the Bulldogs' stunning 57-point win at Etihad Stadium.
While the Dogs had a tough afternoon against Hawthorn in round three, a week earlier Talia had held Richmond star Jack Riewoldt to only two goals, including just three disposals and one mark in the first half, as the Dogs surged to victory.
Talia was out of favour at the Whitten Oval last year, managing just the three senior matches, after receiving a Rising Star nomination in 2013.
However, under new coach Luke Beveridge, he has flourished, and provided the Dogs with the key-position tall they had craved to work alongside vice-captain Jordan Roughead.
The Dogs had hoped Talia would emerge through the pre-season, with Beveridge saying his club could no longer rely on veteran Dale Morris to be an undersized key-position option.
Morris was absent through injury on Sunday, while Talia was instrumental in curbing one of the league's most potent forwards.
Talia's ability to also provide rebound will help him personally, for he is off contract at the end of the season. Should his strong season continue, industry sources believe he could command between $400,000 and $450,000 a season.
His manager, James Pitcher, of Precision Sports and Entertainment Group, had preliminary discussions with the Dogs over summer, with both parties content to wait before opening serious negotiations.
While he is still learning his craft, with just 20 matches to his credit, Talia is the same height as Richmond's Alex Rance - regarded as the league's premier defender - but is three kilograms lighter. Talia is 22, while the out-of-contract Rance, set to command more than $700,000 a season, turns 26 in October.
Talia could decide to sign a short-term contract, if it's felt his improvement trajectory could continue to be at a rapid pace.
Heading into another test against Sydney on Saturday, Beveridge said he had been delighted with Talia's improvement.
"He's just getting better every week," Beveridge said.
"He's accumulating from an offensive point of view, but he's getting the job done defensive. We were really happy with his game.
"His teammates are working for him and getting into space for him. I'm really happy with the way he's using the footy."
Comment