Brian Taylor

Brian Wayne Taylor (born 10 April 1962) is a former Australian rules footballer and current Australian Football League (AFL) commentator on television for the Seven Network.

He played with Richmond and Collingwood from 1980 to 1990.

Taylor was 16 when recruited from Mandurah, Western Australia, to the Richmond Football Club.

The moustached Taylor, known as "BT" and "Bristle", began his VFL career with Richmond in 1980.

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1980

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1981

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1982

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1983

He was a full-forward at the same club as the prolific forward Michael Roach, which limited his playing opportunities and resulted in Taylor asking to be transferred to Collingwood after the 1984 season.

Taylor played 43 games and kicked 156 goals at Richmond.

His height was 191 cm and his weight was 102 kg.

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1984

In 1985, Taylor joined Collingwood.

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1985

He kicked 100 goals in 1986 to win the Coleman Medal.

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1986

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1987

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1988

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1989

Due to repeated knee injuries, he retired from playing in the AFL at the end of the 1990 season at 28 years of age.

He had played 97 games for Collingwood, kicking 371 goals.

Taylor has admitted that early in his career, he had a problem controlling his aggression and was involved in some physical, comical incidents.

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1990

! colspan=3| Career

! 140 ! 527 ! 289 ! 1015 ! 268 ! 1283 ! 710 ! 30 ! 3.8 ! 2.1 ! 7.3 ! 1.9 ! 9.2 ! 5.1 ! 0.5

Towards the end of his playing career, Taylor was approached to write a weekly column in the Sunday Herald newspaper.

He kept a diary throughout the 1990 season, publishing it as Black and White: The Taylor Diaries.

In 1991 Taylor became playing coach of Prahran in the VFA.

On radio, Taylor started out with 3UZ in 1991 before becoming was the lead commentator for the Triple M commentary team from 1997 when the station became the first FM radio station to broadcast Australian rules football matches.

In 1992, after he had kicked 16 and 9 goals in the opening two rounds, his knee gave way and he retired from playing after finishing that season with 64 goals.

Continuing as coach, he again took the Two Blues to the finals.

He retired as coach shortly before the 1994 season due to media commitments.

On television, Taylor was an AFL commentator for the Nine Network from 2002 until the station lost the broadcasting rights in 2006 to the Seven Network, he mainly called Sunday matches with Brayshaw and Garry Lyon.

In 2010, he joined 3AW's football commentary team as chief football caller, replacing Rex Hunt who had moved to Triple M to call football on Saturday afternoons.

Taylor called the Friday night and either the Saturday or Sunday afternoon game for 3AW, alternating with Tony Leonard subject to commitments with the Seven Network.

He remained with the station as a panellist on The Sunday Footy Show until 2010 while also being the host of AFL Teams and calling a Sunday match on Fox Sports from 2009 to 2011.

Taylor's five-year contract with 3AW ended at the conclusion of the 2014 football season and was not renewed.

3AW's General Manager, Shane Healy, stated that Taylor "would focus on his TV career and that 3AW would move forward in 2015 without his involvement".

It was later confirmed Taylor would re-join Triple M to call Sunday matches.

In 2016 he also appeared on The Saturday Rub alongside James Brayshaw, Danny Frawley and Damian Barrett.