GEELONG star backman Harry Taylor will play his 200th game this Sunday, in another crucial match for the Cats top four chances.
Taylor has been one of the AFL’s best defenders in the past two decades, shutting down key forwards and generating run from the backline.
But Cats recruiting boss Stephen Wells said this week that Taylor was far from a standout in his teenage years in WA.
“Harry wasn’t a readymade player in any way,” Wells said.
“He hadn’t dominated in the WAFL, but he’d shown a skill set that we thought would allow him to develop as an AFL defender.”
Wells selected Taylor as a 21-year-old in the 2007 draft, a speculative replacement for injured key defender Matthew Egan.
Taylor’s attitude during his first season in 2008 thouroughly impressed Wells.
“When he turned up, he was as professional as you can possibly be from day one,” he said.
Taylor developed his talents alongside club greats Matthew Scarlett and Tom Harley and became renowned for spending hours researching opponents.
“Harry gives himself the best chance to perform well every week,” Wells said,
The work paid off, with Taylor playing in two premierships and becoming a two-time All Australian.
In the 2009 Grand Final, he held St Kilda superstar Nick Riewoldt to one goal as the Cats won by 12 points.
A brilliant reader of the play, Taylor leads Geelong in intercept marks and remains one of the best defensive markers in the AFL.
The Cats hope Taylor can nullify Jack Reiwoldt and Richmond’s forwardline in his 200th, to give them the percentage boost they desperately need.
They are locked on points with Sydney, GWS and Adelaide in the battle for a top four spot, with only the Giants playing a top-eight team this weekend.
GWS will host the Eagles, who have had a poor year away from home.
Also this week Geelong forward Lincoln McCarthy signed a deal that will keep him at the Cats until at least the end of 2017.
McCarthy earned the deal by resurrecting his career following a series of injury problems.
After just five AFL games in his first four seasons with Geelong, he has played 14 this year.
“It’s a great club, and I just want to repay the faith they have had in me over the past four or five years,“ he said.
