Harry Taylor (Australian rules footballer)
Harry Taylor (born 12 June 1986) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Early life Taylor attended Geraldton Grammar School in Geraldton where he was school captain in 2003 before moving to Perth in 2004 to pursue a possible career in the AFL. In 2001 he was the recipient of the Pierre de Coubertin Award and in 2003 he was one of eight Australian students selected to attend the 4th International Youth Forum in Italy. To help prepare himself for life as a footballer, Taylor worked for a year as a bricklayer to try to gain muscle which would ultimately help him as an AFL footballer. He grew up supporting Adelaide, idolising the high flying Tony Modra. He was drafted as a mature-age player who spent three seasons and 49 games playing for East Fremantle in the West Australian Football League (WAFL). Taylor finished third in the East Fremantle Sharks best and fairest in 2007. Before being drafted, Taylor was studying physiotherapy at university; he had never left his home state of Western Australia. AFL career Taylor was considered a surprise selection at pick 17 in the 2007 draft because of his age. Taylor made his debut for the Cats in the first round of the 2008 NAB Cup against Melbourne in a highly impressive display in defence. He could play at either end of the ground as a key-position player, but he made his mark at centre half-back, although he showed his versatility by kicking three goals in his debut season. Taylor's football superstition was to wear zinc cream during every game regardless of the weather; however, in his first game at Telstra Dome he did not wear it in fear of attracting too much attention. He was known to take notes on each opponent he played on in a bid to help improve his game. In the heritage round clash against Melbourne in 2008, Taylor was forced midway through the third quarter to wear a guernsey with the number 85 on it as opposed to his usual number 7 guernsey. After changing his guernsey twice due to the blood rule, there were no spare number 7 guernseys left, and so he could not return to the field until he was wearing a clean guernsey. It is still unclear why there was a spare number 85 guernsey, although it was said to be a 'special edition'. It's believed to be the highest number ever worn in a VFL/AFL game. Taylor made his finals debut in the First Qualifying Final against St Kilda, running out 58-point winners, with Taylor named among his side's best players. He credited his outstanding first season to the fact that he had an established backline around him and talented teammates who he could learn from. Former Geelong coach Mark Thompson showed great faith in Taylor, prophetically stating that he would be with the Geelong Football Club for a very long time. Taylor's impressive