Taylor shines in cup win, but best-on-ground Falcon stays humble
YOU would struggle to find a more humble player than Denby Taylor — luckily, her peers aren’t shy to pump her up.
The 18-year-old Newtown & Chilwell product justified her AFL Academy and Vic Country selection with an inspiring second half where she showed nerves of steel to kick the Falcons to premiership glory.
Three intercept marks inside forward-50 early in the last quarter eventually led Taylor to booting the sealer, before a run-down tackle ended any chance of the Northern Knights responding.
But Taylor was quick to shift the focus onto her teammates. “I think everyone played equally as well out there,” she said. “We worked so hard as a team and I’m so proud of them all.
“I’m pretty speechless, really, but it’s pretty unreal, I’m so happy for all the girls.”
But captain Lucy McEvoy made sure her star teammate got the kudos she deserved.
“She’s unreal, the game she played,” McEvoy said.
“After last season, she had a few injuries, so to come back this year and to have the season she’s had is unreal.
“She’s stepped up in leadership on and off the field and in her own game.
“She absolutely killed it today. She was very reliable on the halfback line and her skills are just outstanding.”
Coach Jason Armistead switched her from halfback to the wing at the main break and her ability to deliver inside-50s — as well as score herself — helped the Falcons kick four goals to one after halftime.
“It was pretty daunting, I thought, ‘I haven’t played wing ever’,” Taylor said.
“But I was happy to do it, anything for the team to get us across the line. I think it was using my kicking ability to use on that side of the ground and I think Sophie (Walmsley) on the other wing did just as well as well.”
With representative foot- ball beckoning in the next few months, Taylor said it would be a dream to get drafted at the end of the year.
“It would be phenomenal, I’d love it, but I’ll have to have a good year of footy to come and see how it all goes,” she said. “It’s a bit different this year. I’ve been playing at Newtown the last few years in the under-18s but it’s a bit different this year with the Geelong VFL and I’ve still got being part of the Academy as well.
“I’ve got a lot of resources around me and help to get me at the end of the year for the draft.”