Talia played junior football for Greenvale and Assumption College in Kilmore, which boasts a strong football history. He played centre-half forward for the Calder Cannons and in defence for Victoria Metro in the 2009 AFL Under-18 Championships, for which he was selected in the U18 All-Australian team. He missed the second half of the 2009 season due to a hamstring injury.

Talia had a breakout year in 2012. With the departure of Nathan Bock and Phil Davis in the last two seasons, and with Ben Rutten ageing, he regularly played on the opposition’s best forward with great success, contributing to the club’s unexpected run to the preliminary finals. Talia was nominated for the 2012 AFL Rising Star award for his shut-down effort on St Kilda’s Nick Riewoldt in round 12, and at the end of the season was voted the winner of the award. His season came to a heartbreaking end when he broke his arm in Adelaide’s Qualifying Final loss to the Sydney Swans. Prior to the 2013 season, Talia extended his contract for three more years, that kept him at Adelaide until the end of 2016.

Talia continued to deliver in 2013, leading the club in spoils and intercept possessions, and conceding only one goal per game despite being opposed to the opposition’s leading forward. He finished equal third in the club best and fairest in 2013. In 2014 Talia added another dimension to his game, increasing his attacking output while remaining miserly in defence. He was rewarded with the Malcolm Blight Medal for the club’s best and fairest player, and was also named at full-back in the All-Australian team for 2014. He continued to perform reliably in 2015, finishing in the top 10 of the club champion count and becoming the youngest member of Adelaide’s leadership group. At the end of 2015, Daniel and his brother Michael, then playing for the Western Bulldogs, were the subject of an AFL investigation into allegations Michael provided Daniel with game-sensitive information ahead of their two clubs meeting in the 2015 Second Elimination Final. The pair were subsequently cleared.

On 24 February 2016, Talia re-signed with the Crows until the end of 2021.