Taylor ready to reload for 2019
GEELONG veteran Harry Taylor says he is committed to seeing out the final year of his contract next season.
The 32-year-old had an injury-plagued 2018, managing eight games as he battled plantar fasciitis and other footrelated issues.
Taylor was one of Geelong's best players in the 29-point elimination final loss to Melbourne on Friday night, looking assured in his familiar role in the Cats’ backline.
“I’m contracted, so I will get stuck into a big pre-season and look to improve on this season and what we have done in the past few years,” he said.
“Hopefully I am over the battle I've had this season. I am just looking forward to getting away, having some time off and looking to improve areas of my game that I need to.”
But former Port Adelaide star Kane Cornes said it might be time for Geelong to look at moving Taylor into coaching.
“They need to sit down in the course of time and work out what their best 22 looks like on paper right now for Round 1 next year,” Cornes said on SEN.
“If Harry Taylor’s not in it, then maybe you have that conversation with Harry: ‘Can we transition you out into a coaching role or something like that?’ I don’t know what their salary cap looks like.”
Taylor, who suffered the foot injury in the Round 1 win over Melbourne, did not return to full fitness until late in the season, playing the last two home-and-away games before finals.
“Certainly I was starting to build, feeling a bit stronger and reading the ball a little bit better,” Taylor said.
“I felt like I was building like the rest of the team, to be honest but, unfortunately, that’s it for us now.”
He said it was too hard to give Geelong’s season a rating, but said the Cats fell short of their premiership goal.
He said the Cats’ swift exit from finals would not be used as added motivation through the summer ahead of the 2019 season.
“We don’t necessarily talk a lot about motivation. We think that you should be motivated regardless,” he said.
“You are an elite athlete, a professional athlete who is paid well for their occupation. We don’t think we need motivation to be honest.
“You should be able to get yourself up for big games, for training sessions, that sort of stuff.
“I’d hope that our players are motivated regardless of what happened this season.”