Gold Coast Bulletin’s big Q&A with Southport Sharks legend Zane Taylor

He grew up in a commission area in Victoria before becoming a footy legend at Southport Sharks between a successful stint in the VFL for Geelong. Zane Taylor opens up about the his career, premierships and why Southport’s supporters were the best drinking team in the world.

Zane Taylor is one of the Southport Sharks’ finest players. Thirty years after he led the Sharks to the 1989 QAFL premiership, Taylor talks about the good days and tough times of being a footballer in the 1970s and 80s.

Before you ever thought about heading to Queensland to play, where did your footy journey begin?

In a little place called Doveton, just outside of Dandenong in Victoria. You either played cricket or footy, it was a pretty basic lifestyle. It was a commission area. There was nothing fancy about it. A couple of my brothers played and there were a team of kids in the street.

When did you start progressing as a player, did you play much representative footy?

No. I just played under-age footy all the way through under-16s. Then the family moved up to Queensland. It was just for a lifestyle change and it was a good one. It was a no-brainer of a choice. I was 17 when I first joined Southport.

Zane Taylor was the 1989 Southport Sharks premiership captain, and also played for Geelong in the VFL. Picture: Jerad Williams

My first year in 1975 at Southport was senior footy. I was in uncharted waters a bit. I didn’t have too much trouble. It was nice, hard and tough in Doveton where I grew up so the physical side of senior footy didn’t worry me. The quagmire ovals in Victoria made for contested football.

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Was it Southport’s reputation that led you to join them upon your arrival in Queensland or was it just chance?

It was just chance. I was lucky because I could have walked into any side and it just happened my aunty knew a fellow on Southport’s committee and that’s how it started. He guided me to Southport, thank God. We were living at Burleigh.

What were your earliest memories of senior football at the Sharks from a time when they were in the Gold Coast Australian Football League?

One of the credentials you had to have was to be able to fight. You had to have all the skills in the world but if you could fight it was a bonus. Unfortunately the umpires didn’t have a lot of control. There were a lot of thugs in opposition sides so you had to watch your back a bit.

Three-quarter time melee in the 1990 QAFL grand final between Southport and Morningside. Picture: Supplied.

It was no holds barred. A lot of our grand finals were fairly brutal. I didn’t mind the physicality of it. It made you grow up pretty quick. It was last man standing sort of stuff sometimes. There was no blood rule either.

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Your arrival was timely at Southport, given they won four Gold Coast Football League premierships between 1975 and 1979. How did you find that period?

It was terrific. I was playing centre-halfback. I wasn’t overly tall and I could jump back in those days. Intercept marking was my cup of tea, I could read the ball. Coolangatta was the only one to stop our run when they won it in 1978. I was lucky enough to win a couple of best and fairests at Southport and played for Queensland in representative football from 1978 and onwards. In those days that was a place to recruit for VFL clubs because there were no Suns or Lions around.

Your return to the Sharks coincided with their inclusion in the QAFL. How exciting was that?

It was a great opportunity to come back. I’m glad I did it because we experienced finals and the rest of it. Norm Dare was there and he was a great coach. It was a lot more professional when I returned and the footy was still hard and physical but it wasn’t as brutal as the 70s so that was a good thing. You didn’t have to look over your shoulder the whole time.

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How special was it for the club and yourself to win the QAFL in their debut year in the league?

That is probably our pinnacle premiership. There was a fair bit of recruiting done. They pinched a few from Coolangatta and a few other boys. I have played with what seem like hundreds of guns but it’s been the big men who were the best. Guys like Bill Ryan in the 70s. There was ruckman Peter Guy. When I moved into the midfield I learnt to feed off the big men like him. Also Gary Dempsey, a Brownlow Medallist. They were my gravy train.

You were 23 when Geelong picked you up, how did that come about?

I think Billy Ryan had a bit to do with it because he was an ex-Geelong player and a Southport teammate. He put in some good words. They were up here on an end-of-year trip and came to see me and I signed up. There was no draft back then, it was just zones.

1980. Semi-Final. Geelong v Richmond. VFL Park. Zane Taylor drags Emmett Dunne to the ground. Neg: 800913/332

What was that experience like, was it ever on your radar to play at that level?

It was a pleasant surprise and a challenge. I really enjoyed my years down there. Walking in as a young fella was great. It was big time footy. All the excitement of big grounds, cheer squads was amazing. Everyone knew you in town and opened the door for you.

After experiencing the physical nature of footy on the Gold Coast, what was it like in the VFL?

Having that physical background was always going to be helpful but it was different footy all together. There were more umpires, no one got a bloody nose half the time. It was more open footy, a lot easier physically. I ended up staying at Geelong for three years from 1980 to 1983 and played 27 games before I joined Southport again in 1983. I played with some great players at the Cats, the Nankervis brothers, Bruce and Ian, Micky Turner, Gary Malarkey, Jack Hawkins, the father of Tom.

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You are part of Southport’s Hall of Fame, how special is that to you?

Very. At the end of the day when you get older you only have memories so it’s good to be called it.

W hat do you do with yourself now, are you retired and kicking your feet up?

Not retired but we have taken some time out and just doing the caravan thing, travelling around. I’ll do that for as long as I think I have to and then I’ll get into something else.

Southport Sharks player Zane Taylor inducted into hall of fame. Picture: SUPPLIED

What kind of work did you have to do while juggling your footy career?

I worked behind the bar. When we came to Fankhauser I was working with a couple of other Southport boys and we had a cleaning supply business. We did that for about 15 years. When I went to Geelong I still had to have a soft job, everyone worked. I worked for a transport company.

Do you think Fankhauser Reserve has become the spiritual home of football on the Gold Coast?

Oh yeah, just take one look at the honour board. It’s mind boggling the amount of quality players who have come through here who have played VFL or AFL.

Zane Taylor was the 1989 Southport Sharks premiership captain, and also played for Geelong in the VFL. Picture: Jerad Williams

Back in your day it was the liquor sold at the bar that was the lifeblood of the club. Am I right?

I have no doubt we had the world’s greatest supporter drinking team at the club, male and female. It was a beauty. The players were good at it but the supporters were unbelievable. I used to work behind the bar and a keg was 18 gallons (about 82 litres). We would knock over between 30 and 40 a week, plus a heap of spirits. It was a ripping business.

H ow big would the parties be after you won a premiership with the club?

They went for at least a week. I got to the stage where you had to plan everything around the grand final and the week after. It was full-on and incredible to be part of during my time at the club.

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This started back at Owen Park, the home of the club before the move to Fankhauser Reserve. What was that like to play at?

It was OK. It was a council ground and the showground. They used to do most of the maintenance. It was a smaller ground than Fankhauser Reserve. There were plenty of players who could nearly kick a goal from the centre.

How did that change things when you went to Fankhauser Reserve?

We didn’t really need to change the way we played. We were blessed, whatever way we went we had a lot of good players come to the club. We either recruited them or they just walked in. The word was out, if you go to a club, it was Southport.

PLAYER BIOGRAPHY

Name: Zane Taylor Age: 62

Grew up: Doveton, Victoria.

Height: 185cm

Position: Centre-halfback/midfielder

Southport career

■ Games: 225

■ Premierships: 10 between 1975-1990

■ Best and fairests: 1997, 1977, 1978 and 1985 (with Jason Cotter)

■ Club Hall of Fame and life member

■ Inaugural team member of 25 Years of 25 Greats 1983-2008

Queensland accolades

■ Grogan Medal: Player of year 1985

■ Joe Grant Medal: Best in QAFL grand final, 1983 and 1990

■ Qld Team of Century

■ Queensland Hall of Fame

■ State games record holder (26 from 1978-79)

■ Zane Taylor Medal is awarded to best Qld player in interstate matches

Geelong VFL:

— Signed by the Cats in 1980.

— Won three straight premierships with the Cats reserves, kicking six goals in their 1981 grand final win.

— Famously played in two grand finals in 1978, one for Southport against Coolangatta in the GCAFC and for Windsor-Zillmere in the QAFL premiership decider after getting a permit to play for them.