Geelong great Harry Taylor opens up on his glittering career and his quirks ahead of Cats Hall of Fame induction

Harry Taylor’s career was unusual in more ways than one. Ahead of his Hall of Fame induction, he reflects on his quirks, including missing the draft, his beetroot juice mishap and THAT handshake.

Harry Taylor and his son James after the 2011 grand final.

To say Harry Taylor did things differently across his glittering career at Geelong would be an understatement.

From being taken as a first-round draft pick as a 21-year-old, the infamous ‘hamshake’ with then Adelaide player Josh Jenkins in 2017, and his meticulous and sometimes peculiar preparation for games, his time at the Cats was truly unique.

But it proved so very effective for Geelong across his 280-games, where the Cats missed the finals just once during the dependable defender’s 13 seasons.

Regularly taking the best key forwards in the competition, Taylor was a pivotal part of Geelong’s 2009 and 2011 premierships and was recognised with two All-Australian jackets in 2010 and 2013, playing in 32 finals — ranked fifth in VFL/AFL history.

It is a resume that will see Taylor inducted into Geelong’s Hall of Fame on Saturday night along with Cats coach Chris Scott and Taylor’s dual premiership teammate Travis Varcoe, with Geelong great Cameron Ling to be elevated to legend status.

Harry Taylor played a key role on Nick Riewoldt in the 2009 grand final.

“I’m obviously very, very honoured, I have always been passionate about history, I’ve been passionate about those who have come before us, particularly from a learning and lessons perspective. But absolutely over the moon when (Steven) Hocking the CEO called me and told me I would be getting inducted,” Taylor said.

“I certainly tried to get the absolute best out of my career and used to do a lot of different things to try to maximise performance – some of them didn’t work, some did, some were considered extremely unique and weird and maybe others a little more the standard things you’d expect.”

“I probably am proud that I didn’t just roll out every week and expect and hope that things were going to work out.”

Taylor loved his icebaths more than most players and got stuck into plenty of yoga and pilates. They were the more traditional methods.

The quirky Cat also tried to get the extra edge with his diet, much to the bemusement of his teammates.

And it led to an uncomfortable conversation with the club doctor.

“Beetroot juice, we often had that as players and I tried to take that to the next level,” Taylor explained.

“Had lots and lots of it to the point where I had to confront the doctor and thought there was something wrong with my internal bleeding.

“But it was just the fact that I’d had a lot of beetroot, when it comes to going to the toilet.”

It wasn’t just what he was eating that raised eyebrows, but when he was eating.

“There was certainly some games I remember, and my teammates would remember, where I was heating up pasta in the microwave 45 minutes before we ran out to get some extra carb loading in close to gametime,” Taylor chuckled.

Taylor had some unconventional pre-game techniques. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

THE HAMSHAKE

Just like the ham in his sock that day in 2017, Taylor’s attempted joke was a bit off.

“It is a bit of a strange one, I’m not one for any regrets and going back in time and trying to change things but maybe I’d change a little bit of it,” Taylor said with a laugh.

In a story that has been well told, Jenkins had been sick with food poisoning in the lead-up to Adelaide’s clash with Geelong, believed to be from eating some ham well past its use by date.

“I was in the buffet area before the game talking to Paddy Dangerfield and said, ‘how will he take it if I gave him a bit of ham after the game just to remind him about his food poisoning incident?’ All in jest of course,” Taylor recalls.

”Paddy said, ‘Yeah go for it, he’ll appreciate that’.”

Taylor played out the game, which the Cats lost, with the sliver of ham in his sock before placing it into the hand of Jenkins post-game.

“They won the game so thought I’d might just shake his hand and have a ‘hamshake’ and let him know that food poisoning is not a great thing to have,” Taylor said.

“Not something I did regularly for those that might be wondering, it was a one-off and all intended to be a bit of fun in what is a pretty tough and ruthless business at times and sometimes it’s nice to enjoy it and have a bit of a joke every now and again.”

It was everywhere after Jenkins shared the bizarre incident on Adelaide radio, where was left dumbfounded and said he was “going to throw up”.

The two would end up playing together in Taylor’s last season in 2020 and shared a laugh about the strange exchange.

Josh Jenkins and Harry Taylor shared a ‘hamshake’. Picture Sarah Reed

82 MISSED CALLS

Hearing your named called on draft day is a treasured memory in any player’s career.

Instead, Taylor woke up to missed calls after sleeping through it, in keeping with his unique career that followed.

“Back when I got drafted it certainly wasn’t the fanfare made, so there certainly wasn’t as much media and publicity as you see hear these days,” Taylor said.

“It was on 10:30 in the morning Vic time so it was 8:30 WA time. I’d been out at an end of year physio party for end of third year, woke up and sort of forgot the draft was on that day and woke up to 82 missed calls on my phone.

“It was one of those old Nokia early day ones with snake and very limited function for those that remember.”

Before he knew it, the East Fremantle star was off to a faraway land known as Geelong, more than 3600 kilometres from his hometown of Geraldton.

“It was a real whirlwind for me, I was on the plane next day to this place called Geelong which I hadn’t really heard of to be honest,” Taylor said.

“Knew of the team and some of the stars but had no idea of the geographical idea about where Geelong was. And then basically straight into it from there.”

Harry Taylor in action in his first season in 2008.

Gary Ablett and Harry Taylor both retired after their losing 2020 grand final. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Taylor’s self-confessed naivety proved to be an advantage early on.

While most draftees would have felt the pressure walking into a side coming off a premiership, Taylor was cool as a cucumber, which saw the 195cm defender take to AFL footy like a duck to water.

“I didn’t understand the enormity of Geelong winning the flag the year before. The 2007 year, just the history and the heartache of being so close on so many occasions. I didn’t understand, I didn’t grow up with all of that,” Taylor said.

“So maybe in some ways that protected me and made it a bit easier, just didn’t overthink the situation. Just came in and tried my best to be a good teammate and fortunately had some good mentors, some great people around me at the time.

“Matty Scarlett, Corey Enright, Darren Milburn, these older statesman in defence were great in terms of teaching me the right way to play.”

Ironically, Taylor tasted the heartache he was foreign to in his first and last seasons, where Geelong lost grand finals they probably should have won.

“Although we lost in 2020, we were able to get ourselves in another situation where we were playing off in a grand final and that was right at the latter bookend of my career,” Taylor said.

“Although we didn’t win it and didn’t go the way we wanted to, I was still proud that we were able to get ourselves in that situation to be competing in another premiership.”

Tickets for the 2024 Geelong Cats Hall of Fame Dinner are on sale now. Head to geelongcats.com.au/experience/events for more information.

Originally published as Geelong great Harry Taylor opens up on his glittering career and his quirks ahead of Cats Hall of Fame induction