IT MIGHT be the match he wanted to play six months ago, but rather than ponder missed opportunities, Hawthorn ruckman Simon Taylor still has the fire in the belly and is primed for Sunday’s NAB Cup quarter-final.
The opposition is Carlton; the venue – Telstra Dome.
It was a round-22 match at the Dome last year when the Hawks opted to “rest” Taylor ahead of their finals campaign.
In doing so, it opened the door for youngster Brent Renouf, who not only played the final home-and-away match of the year against the Blues, but went on to become a premiership player for the Hawks.
In the process, Taylor’s became the hard luck story of Hawthorn’s fairytale season.
“I was obviously a little bit disappointed with how last year panned out but, you know, I’ve been working hard over the pre-season and I’m looking forward to having a crack at Carlton on Sunday,” the big man said at Telstra Dome on Friday ahead of Sunday’s fixture.
The 26-year-old played 18 matches in 2008, so naturally joined in premiership celebrations. But knowing he wasn’t part of that final Saturday in September has been with him all summer as he’s strived to become bigger, faster and stronger.
“It has got a bit easier,” he said of missing the Grand Final.
“It was just sort of a bit of fire in the belly for the pre-season.
“I wasn’t the only one that missed out. There was a small group of us that have sort of been driving the pre-season training and keeping the other guys honest, so to speak, so we’re just looking forward to Sunday.”
On Sunday the Hawks will again field a bellow-strength side although Taylor said stars Lance Franklin and Luke Hodge were getting closer to playing their first games of the season.
“It could be next week or the week after,” Taylor said.
“It’d be nice if they got a hit-out before round one, but when exactly, I’m not too sure.”
The Blues will again field a strong side, with Shaun Hampson and Richard Hadley the likely changes to the team that easily accounted for North Melbourne last week.
Sunday’s match at Telstra Dome starts at 4.40pm.
