AFL: Brian Taylor weighs in on salary debate, ‘Prison Bar’ jumper wars

Brian Taylor put a Channel 7 stablemate on the spot during a live cross by asking him to reveal some very personal information to Australia.

Brian Taylor was in fine form on Friday night as he weighed in on two of the hottest topics in the AFL during Channel 7’s broadcast of the Western Bulldogs’ win over GWS.

Adelaide Crows legend and now football director Mark Ricciuto put players’ salaries back on the agenda this week as he reeled off a list of reasons why stars like Jake Lever, Mitch McGovern and Charlie Cameron have left the club in recent years.

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Most of the explanations Ricciuto gave on his Triple M radio show revolved around being unable or unwilling to meet players’ pay demands, but he has been slapped down for going public with specific dollar figures.

Ricciuto said Lever moved to Melbourne on a deal worth between $800,000 and $850,000 a year, and claimed McGovern was making $800,000 a season at Carlton.

Some, such as Port Adelaide legend Kane Cornes, believe players’ pay packets should be made public but Richmond and Collingwood forward turned commentator Taylor doesn’t agree — and he put Channel 7’s Tom Browne on the spot during a live cross to make his point when the reporter argued for “full transparency”.

Taylor: “Tom, can you please tell me your current wage?”

Browne: “I would be reluctant to do that on national television.”

Taylor: “Ah, right. But it’s OK for everyone else to shout these figures out on these players out here? Tom, I’ll ask you one more time — what are you currently earning?”

Browne: “BT, I’m not a professional athlete and there’s no precedent for that. Plus I’m not in the sort of bracket that these guys are in.”

Collingwood star Taylor Adams certainly enjoyed the exchange, responding to it on Twitter with two cry-laughing emojis while Channel 9 presenter and former Footy Show host Rebecca Maddern did the same.

CHECK OUT THE EXCHANGE IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE

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Brian Taylor doesn’t want players’ salaries made public.

Taylor also had his say on the guernsey war between Collingwood and Port Adelaide, which has been dominating the news cycle this week.

Power chairman David Koch is advocating for his club to be able to wear its famous “Prison Bar” jumper in future Showdowns with cross-city rival the Crows, featuring vertical black-and-white stripes — similar to the strip worn by the Magpies.

Collingwood President Eddie McGuire said his club had given Port permission to wear the guernsey in round two against the Crows as it celebrates its 150th anniversary, but wants that to be the end of it because the black-and-white stripes are part of the Pies’ identity.

McGuire has referred the conflict to the AFL’s legal department, saying Port had signed an agreement not to wear its iconic jumper again, while in an open letter to members Koch denied any such deal had been inked.

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As for Taylor, he simply doesn’t care.

“I really don’t care. I think this is driven by Ed more than anyone, and I’m not sure that anyone else actually cares other than the two bosses of their respective teams,” Taylor said.

“I know I certainly don’t.

“But I do believe when you are given the colours and the licence from the AFL and they say, ‘You are these colours’, then you need to stick (with them).”

For what it’s worth, tennis world No. 2 Simona Halep said she would sign Port’s petition to wear the famous guernsey again, because her coach Darren Cahill is on the Power board.

I signed 😊 https://t.co/i68eYhP4wF

— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) June 19, 2020

Veteran commentator Bruce McAvaney was impressed with Taylor’s work behind the microphone during the Dogs’ 8.9 (57) to 4.9 (33) win over the Giants, saying he might even work himself into a boxing commentary gig given how he handled the all-in brawls during the footy match.

“If Tyson Fury comes to Australia to fight, I want BT to do the commentary. It’s been a good night,” McAvaney said post-match.