Harry Taylor reveals the extent of his painful foot injury last year

Harry Taylor, one of footy’s quirkiest and resilient characters, has a bounce back in his step after a 2018 season cruelled by a foot injury and he reveals the unusual way he dealt with the pain.

Harry Taylor says he’s in physically great shape after overcoming a debilitating foot injury. Picture: Alison Wynd

Even for Harry Taylor’s quirky sensibilities, his nocturnal habits last year were downright bizarre.

When nature called Taylor would crawl along a pathway of pre-arranged mattresses from his bedroom to the smallest room in the house.

The 32-year-old, one of football’s most resilient customers, was trying to escape the agonising sensation that felt like a knife slicing into the bottom of his foot.

The daily — and nightly — battle with plantar fascia defined his season until the sweet relief that came when he eventually deliberately snapped the ligament mid-year.

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To be honest, he looked old and sore and slow.

Yet last week there he was in the final seconds of Geelong’s defiant win over Collingwood shunting Mason Cox aside to mark and cap a resolute defensive display.

Contracted until year’s end and desperate to enjoy every moment of his football career, Taylor says he wouldn’t wish that plantar fascia issue on his worst enemy.

“It’s good to be fit and healthy after not being at my absolutely physical best the last couple of years,’’ he tells the Herald Sun.

“It was pretty average, to be honest. I haven’t had too many injuries over my career but this one was reasonably significant.

“It was hardest when you first wake up in the morning and at night going to the toilet.

“At my worst I had to crawl to go to the toilet.

“I used to put mattresses on the ground so my knees weren’t on the tiles.

“If anyone has had it they would know what I am talking about. It was pretty much like a (knife), just that sharp pain and I didn’t want to put any weight on it.”

Harry Taylor in action against Collingwood last week. Picture: Michael Klein.

It would take four months for Taylor’s issues to be rectified, resulting in the worst season of his career for a player who had never played less than 21 games in any given year.

A niggling injury all pre-season flared when chasing Jesse Hogan in Round 1, but instead of him tearing the plantar fascia across the ligament — alleviating the pain — he ripped it up the length of the foot.

Two months off saw him return in Round 8 but by the following week it was apparent it was as bad as ever.

“We put some cortisone in it at training to help it settled down and as I was running it ruptured. It was a weird feeling, almost like unzipping a jumper.”

Robert Harvey famously jumped off a table in the back yard to snap his plantar fascia, and if this wasn’t as rudimentary it had the same effect.

“I didn’t have the Jim Beam he had, if you listen to the story, but there was some anaesthetic injected into it and I ran as fast as I could and it did the trick. In my head it was going to happen. The medical team’s plan was to inject it but in my head I had a feeling something was going to happen, which was beneficial.”

That criticism of his season came from the outer and commentariat is news to Taylor.

He might be quirky and a little old-fashioned, but it is exactly that attitude which has kept him so grounded through 12 years of football.

Harry Taylor has jumped out of the blocks in 2019 after a painful 2018 season. Picture: Getty Images

He has been on more AFL football shows than he has watched.

And he has vowed never to derive his feelings of worth from the media or “friends” on social media.

“I don’t have social media, I don’t watch any of the footy shows. Everyone in those areas as paid to have an opinion but me listening to that won’t help me play better.

“The criticism was there but to be honest I didn’t hear any of it. Someone else’s opinion might be right but me listening to one person’s opinion and taking it to heart, that’s where a lot of the mental health stuff comes from.“

When he is waiting for a takeaway coffee as everyone around Taylor clutches their phones, he deliberately keeps his in his pocket.

“You might notice the call of a bird you haven’t noticed before or the way the sun is coming up, the facade of a house.”

He can remember a time when he would leave his phone at the club overnight - “that Nokia with the snake on it” - but now sees an obsessed generation.

He has progressed to an iPhone but after giving up looking at the AFL app for lent, realised it wasn’t helping his life so dispensed with it full-time.

Taylor knows it is his role as a leader to adapt to the kids who now grab their phones immediately after coming off the track, and also counsel them that some criticism is necessary.

“It is realising in this industry that you are paid well to perform so criticism is part of entertainment. You have to accept it and if you expect that is the case you can deal with it.

“Be prepared to handle it, and if you are not ready, take away the sources of criticisms by not looking at certain things.”

Taylor has got this far by being a man of habits, believing that for all the ecstatic highs if you can’t revel in the drudgery of training and preparation you won’t go far.

He helps put his three kids to bed and often follows soon after at 8pm, adamant 10 hours of sleep is his best form of recovery.

Taylor spoiling Magpies forward Mason Cox during last week’s game. Picture: Michael Klein

He isn’t a stickler for diet but “tries to eat as close to the source as I can, not being through too many hands before it’s in my mouth”.

This year with Harry and childhood sweetheart Michelle’s kids growing - Isabel is nine, James seven, Abbie four - he returned to Geelong in November while the older pair completed fourth term in Geraldton.

He passed up a monster deal to leave Geelong and play for Fremantle in 2013 and of all the club’s players has the most insight into the decision facing Tim Kelly.

“My wife and I had dinner and talked about it over a couple of wines and we thought the grass is greener, but we knew it was pretty green here too,” he said.

“I loved the Geelong footy club and Sel (Joel Selwood) and Hawk (Tom Hawkins) and Mack (Andrew Mackie) and Tom Lonergan and I couldn’t see myself playing elsewhere.

“I have told Tim a little bit about going through the same thing, with his family all being from WA.

“I spoke to him about how I did it and not to press anything on him, just about my ideas and thoughts to help him make his decision and whatever he does we will support him.”

If this is to be Taylor’s last year, he will bask in every moment of it.

He has done a physiotherapists degree, real estate courses, coaching courses, financial planning and is finishing a bachelor of applied management, but refuses to think too far ahead.

“The expectation is players want to play forever. That’s not the case for me. I want to enjoy this year as much as I possibly can and the club will sit down and make the right decision for the footy club, whenever that might be and I am more than happy with that.”

“At some point in time your career ends, but if you get lost trying to prepare for what is next you won’t enjoy what you are doing now.”