Pressed on where that dislike came from, Taylor suggested Giants players had stowed away memories of exuberant celebrations from some Swans players during a match simulation at Tramway Oval, next to the SCG, in February. Sydney were victorious on that day by 26 points and the in-form Logan McDonald, who is likely to be Taylor’s direct opponent on Saturday afternoon, booted four goals.
Ironically it was the Swans who used to accuse the Giants of having too much to say in the heat of battle – but now the tables have turned.
‘There is a lot of dislike … they’re young, they’re firing, they’re a bit smug. They’re chirpy on the field.’
Sam Taylor on the Swans
“That was chirpy, just for a practice game,” he said. “They’re young, they’re firing, they’re a bit smug. It comes from a bit of that as well. They’re chirpy on the field. It’s fun to play against them, when a team’s chirpy, up and about, winning games. It’s exciting, and I can’t wait to play them.”
A big crowd is expected at the SCG for the derby, which could challenge the non-finals record of 37,045 for this fixture at the Moore Park venue.
Taylor stopped short of declaring himself a certain starter, saying he would need to get through contact training on Tuesday and Thursday to confirm his return, which will likely come at the expense of his housemate Leek Aleer.
The off-contract defender has not played since he was involved in a sickening head clash with Jack Steele which caused a nine-minute delay early in GWS’s thrilling one-point win over St Kilda. The collision left Taylor bleeding from the mouth and was deemed to be so visually troubling that broadcasters refused to show any replays, but he insisted it looked much worse on TV than it actually was.
Giant Sam Taylor spoils against Sydney’s Joel Amartey in the niggly pre-season clash at Tramway Oval.Credit: Getty
“I have seen it back a few times … the double-hit into the chin, into the ground, it did a bit of work,” he said.
“I remember the first 10 minutes [of the game] but the actual incident, I don’t remember. And then I don’t remember much after for the next, like, 30 minutes … but once I got to hospital, everything from then, I remember.
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“I’m symptom-free. Everything’s gone. I never had any headaches, it was just a bit of dizziness early on. I’ll definitely be more careful with my head. I won’t charge in head-first and keep my chin open, I’ll try to protect myself a bit more … but I want to win, I want to compete as hard as I can, and that won’t change.”
The Swans, like the Giants, face some selection quandaries at their match committee meeting this week, with former co-captain Luke Parker fit and available after sealing his recovery from a broken arm with a dominant display in the VFL.
To include him, coach John Longmire will need to find room in a team that thrashed Hawthorn by 76 points on Sunday, while defender Dane Rampe could also be an outside chance of returning from a hamstring injury.
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