GWS defender Sam Taylor opens on getting over finals pain and being driven for AFL success
Sam Taylor has opened up on the torment he felt after GWS’ agonising finals exit last year and why he’s torn up he won’t get a chance for redemption against Joe Daniher. LACHLAN MCKIRDY reports.
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Giants defender Sam Taylor is determined to get back to his All-Australian heights in 2025 after admitting he feels as though he let his teammates down in the back half of last season.
Taylor is widely considered one of the best key defenders in the competition, and despite only playing 18 matches last season due to injury, he still rated elite in his position for both intercept marks and tackles.
The 25-year-old is one of the most competitive players in the AFL, and while there were plenty of positives to take out of 2024, his lasting memory over the off-season was the Giants’ agonising loss to Brisbane in the semi-final.
The Lions were down by as much as 44 points in the third quarter before they produced a miracle comeback on their way to the premiership. Taylor was in the thick of the action as his direct opponent Joe Daniher kicked two miracle goals in the dying minutes to snatch victory.
“I obviously got caught up in it, and it stays with you for quite some time,” Taylor said.
“Just each play and you think of things you could have done differently in your head, tearing it over and over.
“I did that for three weeks after the game. And yeah, it suffocates you for a bit. You just wish you had your time again. We can’t be up 44 points and lose a game. That should never happen.
“Once we reviewed it, there were so many things we could have done differently. I didn’t think my leadership was good enough, and I didn’t step up either.
“Getting smacked around that last game and having a few goals kicked on me in that crunch time, I hate getting beaten, and I was beaten. It’s made me quite hungry and frustrated.
“And now (Joe Daniher’s) retired, so I can’t take him on again. I’m keen to get going again and redeem myself because I think that back half of the year, I let a lot of my teammates down with the way I played. I want to be the best, and that wasn’t me, so I’ll make sure I change that.
“It was just a frustrating game that you want back. And yeah, you definitely blame yourself because if you did a few things differently, maybe the game changes, but you never know. There’s a lot of what ifs, but it is what it is.”
Taylor’s year was largely defined by two freak injuries. The first was a serious concussion while playing against St Kilda at Manuka Oval, which left him motionless on the ground. He required a medicab to be taken off the field and was later taken to hospital for monitoring.
A bit over two months later, after he finally felt comfortable again playing in the AFL, Taylor ruptured his testicle in an innocuous collision against Port Adelaide. The two incidents left him devoid of confidence, and he concedes it had a major impact on how he played.
“It was a scary year in terms of injuries,” Taylor said. “They weren’t your typical injuries.
“I was knocked out for seven minutes, and I wasn’t conscious on a football field, which I’ve never experienced, I’ve never seen happen. Then, I ruptured my testicle and had to sit out five weeks because of that.
“So, my confidence levels were quite low in terms of playing with my instincts. I feel like I play a tough brand of football. But I saw myself second-guessing. It took me four weeks after my concussion to get back to normal … then I felt like it took me another month to get back from my groin.
“I just couldn’t get into a nice pattern. So, it was quite frustrating. But I feel like this pre-season, I was more focused on my football and wanting to get back to my best and even better.
“I’m coming to the best ages of my career. So I need to just reach new heights. And what I did last year wasn’t good enough. Even though I had injuries, I still wanted to be better than I was.”
Despite his strong pre-season, it’s been far from a perfect start to the new campaign for Taylor. A concussion in the final intra-club practice match saw him miss the scrimmage against the Swans, while he and his teammates were on the end of a 58-point defeat to Carlton in Canberra.
It was a particularly concerning result, given it was the Giants’ first-choice defence against an understrength Blues side.
However, Taylor believes the team is as hungry as ever leading into the season. And as younger players battle it out for the chance to take Harry Perryman’s spot in the defence, he is convinced the depth of the Giants’ overall squad will leave them in good stead.
“Obviously, last year the backline was settled, we had a great backline,” Taylor said. “But there’s one spot that’s open now, and I feel that’s important for a team.
“It gives people fighting chances to gain that. It’s great seeing four blokes going for the position that Pez left. You see them putting extra work in … and the hunger of those guys to get better makes me want to get better.
“Wolfie (Jacob Wehr) has impressed coming back from the wing. Stoney, I haven’t seen someone watch as much vision. Fonti, he’s one of the quickest players. And even Leek, he deserves to be playing AFL, he’s good enough.
“We have a really good 30 blokes that can come in and have a huge impact.”
Originally published as GWS defender Sam Taylor opens on getting over finals pain and being driven for AFL success
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