With his pre-game remarks before of Saturday’s qualifying final matchup against fierce rival Sydney, Sam Taylor is being cautious.
Sam Taylor in action during the round eight, 2024, match between GWS and Sydney. Image: AFL Images
Sam Taylor made headlines with his 2024 season’s most impressive pre-game sledge, but he won’t be doing it again before Greater Western Sydney takes on archrival and minor premier Sydney in the massive qualification final on Saturday.
The gun defender acknowledged that “there’s a lot of dislike” between the sides and that the Giants “wanted to smack them” before calling the Swans “chirpy and smug” before of their Sydney Derby match in April.
A home peliminary final berth is up for grabs, and this rivalry will reach a fever pitch at the SCG. It was the ultimate firestarter.
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But this time, Taylor isn’t setting off a pre-game fire.
“It’s going to be difficult enough without having to stir the pot. Before a finals game, I don’t want to say anything to start it off,” he said to AFL.com.au.
Regarding coach Adam Kingsley’s response to Taylor’s remarks from April, “I was expecting him to (say something) but he didn’t,” the player remarked.
“I’ll let our play speak for itself this time; I’m not sure if that means to carry on or not.
We enjoy playing in the finals, so it will be amazing. It’s hotter when it’s against the Swans. They’re going to bring the heat, so we best show up.
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Prior to Week 1, Alastair Clarkson and Matthew Lloyd join host Sarah Olle for Finals Focus.
Now, Taylor is more concerned with pursuing other goals, such as a premiership, than making news.
It’s a driving force that has been with the GWS team since the beginning of preseason, when they were still recovering from their close call with the Magpies in the previous season.
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“It hurts a lot to lose last year’s preliminary round by a point. It is devastating to come so near and then fall short. There’s undeniable optimism that we may succeed and emerge as the top team, according to Taylor.
There are many reasons for the Giants to be hopeful about winning their first-ever flag, including having seven victories from their last eight games going into the finals, excellent bookends in Taylor and Jesse Hogan, and well-credentialed finals performances across the board.
Their midfield depth is the only area of concern regarding their September charge, given the injury cloud around fire tagger Toby Bedford’s match on Saturday and the ongoing shoulder problems ruckman Kieren Briggs and seasoned on-baller Stephen Coniglio are experiencing.
Taylor remarked of Briggs and Coniglio, “I feel like they can have broken shoulders and both still play.”
They’re both really strong. Every player gets some kind of ache or pain when they play finals footy. That being said, I’ve had a terrific week off.”
August 17, 2024, at ENGIE Stadium, during the Greater Western Sydney vs. Fremantle round 23 match. Kieren Briggs and Liam Reidy. Image: AFL Images
Regarding the Swans’ possible vulnerability, detractors frequently highlight their primary forward inconsistencies, even with the trio of Logan McDonald, Joel Amartey, and Hayden McLean posing a threat.
But their unpredictable nature can make match-ups difficult in the absence of a dominant target.
especially for Taylor, who enjoys the idea of getting ready for and then defeating the star player of the opposition.
“Having just one major player (to play on) is absolutely what I like. To be honest, I believe that helps the Swans. You should treat them all with a great deal of respect since they can all go out for a day,” he stated.
“I could go the deepest if they don’t have one huge man firing. Since we are a system-based defense, all we need to do is play as a team. Each competition will be equally significant as the next.”
In action during Sydney and GWS’s 2024 match simulation are Sam Taylor and Joel Amartey. Image: AFL Images
The Swans can win four straight Sydney Derbies, a feat not accomplished since Sydney did so from 2015 to ’16, while the Giants will be looking to make it four straight finals victories against their fiercest rivals, the most recent of which came in 2021.
Taylor believes the Giants must reverse a worrisome midfield trend, spearheaded by three-time Brett Kirk Medal winner Errol Gulden, in order to halt that run.
We need to limit players who possess such qualities since their heat, run, and carry during stoppages proved to be too much for us. Hopefully, we can change the fact that we haven’t completed it in the last three attempts,” he stated.
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