Full Name: BRIAN TAYLOR
Date of Birth: 10/04/1962
Height: 191 cm ( 6-3 )
Weight: 91 kg ( 14-5 )
Guernsey: 21/58
Debut: 09/08/1980, Round 19, Carlton
Last Game: 11/ 08/1984, Round 19, St Kilda
RICHMOND SENIORS
Seasons: 1980-84
Total Games: 43
Total Goals: 156
Honours: Leading Goalkicker 1982 Goals 71, 1984 Goals 61.
RICHMOND RESERVES
Seasons: 1979-82, 1984
Total Games: 42
Total Goals: 192
Honours: Club Leading Goalkicker 1981 Goals 119, VFL Reserves Leading Goalkicker Goals 119.
BIOGRAPHY
Brian was a full-forward. He was recruited by Richmond as a centre-half-forward. As a junior he preferred basketball to football and only took up the game in his middle teens. Prior to moving to Victoria he was a member of the West Australian Schoolboys Basketball team. He played his junior football with Mandurah where he was selected in the West Australian Schoolboys team. He arrived at Richmond in 1979 spending that season in the reserves and thirds. He then made an unsuccessful senior debut in late 1980 against Carlton, drawing Bruce Doull as his opponent. Brian did not establish himself with Richmond until 1982 when he finished that season with 71 goals.
In 1981 he won the VFL Reserves Goal kicking award with a tally of 119. This included a club record of 15 goals out of 22 against North Melbourne at VFL Park on the Easter weekend. A strong, body player he could manoeuvre himself into the best position to take a mark. Nicknamed "Barge" he often engaged in bustling tactics which were not appreciated by opposing full-backs and this led to many confrontations. He also had the uncanny ability to take one handed marks on a consistent basis whilst wrestling for position with his opponent. Unfortunately injuries and the form of Michael Roach limited his senior appearances at Richmond. He won Richmond's Senior Goal kicking award in 1982 and 1984 with his best individual tallies being 10 and 8 against Fitzroy in 1982. A controversial withdrawal from the 1982 Grand Final side, he was selected in the starting 18 and even ran out with the team. Whether the selector's decision was right or wrong one thing is certain, his strength and vigour were sadly missed. He kicked 5 goals or more 15 times at Richmond.
He spent 6 seasons with Richmond before crossing to Collingwood at the start of 1985. He won their club Goal kicking award three times and the VFL Goal kicking award in 1986 with a total of 100 goals. His highest individual goal tally with Collingwood was 12 against the Sydney Swans in Round 16 of 1985. He scored 5 goals or more 28 times and also kicked 6 goals in the first semi-final against Melbourne in 1988. After the 1990 season he released a book about that season entitled "The B.T. Diaries". He was unlucky not to be included in the Collingwood Grand Final squad of 1990 after nearly winning the drawn qualifying final against the West Coast Eagles with 2 late goals. In 1991 he crossed to Prahran as playing-coach and played in 1991 and 1992 before retiring and continuing as non-playing coach. Originally a plumber he now entertains people in the sought after market of after dinner speaking, more commonly known as Sportsmen's Nights. He had a regular sporting segment on radio 3UZ until 1996 and now calls the game on Magic 693.
PRE RICHMOND
Mandurah Junior Teams 1977-78 ( West Australian School Boys Representative Team ).
POST RICHMOND
Collingwood Seniors 1985-90, Games 97, Goals 371 ( Honours - Club Leading Goalkicker 1985 Goals 80, 1986 Goals 100, 1987 Goals 60, 1988 Goals 73, VFL Leading Goalkicker "John Coleman Medal " 1986 Goals 100 ) ; Collingwood Reserves 1987-90, Games 28, Goals 85 ( Honours - Leading Goalkicker 1990 Goals 51 ) ; Prahran Coach 1991-93, Games 31, Goals 133 ( Honours - Leading Goalkicker 1991 Goals 69 ).
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