HE DELIVERED the standout pre-game sledge of the 2024 season but Sam Taylor won't be repeating the dose ahead of Greater Western Sydney's mammoth qualifying final against arch rival and minor premier Sydney on Saturday.
The gun defender labelled the Swans "chirpy and smug" ahead of their Sydney Derby clash in April, admitting "there's a lot of dislike" between the teams and the Giants "wanted to smack them".
It was the ultimate firestarter in a passionate rivalry that will come to the boil at the SCG with a home preliminary final berth up for grabs.
This time around however, Taylor isn't lighting the pre-game fuse.
"I don't want to stir the pot, it's going to be hard enough. I don't want to say anything before a finals game to get it going," he told AFL.com.au.
"I was expecting him to (say something) but he didn't," Taylor said of coach Adam Kingsley's reaction to his comments in April.
"I don't know if that means to keep going on with it or not but I'll let our play do the talking this time.
"It's going to be huge, we love playing finals. When it's against the Swans it's even hotter. We better turn up because they're going to bring the heat."
Taylor is focused on other quests now – like a premiership – rather than creating headlines.
It's a motivating factor that dates back to the start of pre-season for an entire GWS squad still hurting from last season's near-miss against the Magpies.
"Losing last year's prelim by a point still burns quite a bit. It's heartbreaking getting that close and not making it. There's definitely a lot of confidence that we can do it and be the best team," Taylor said.
With elite bookends in Taylor and Jesse Hogan, well-credentialled finals performers across every line and seven wins from their last eight games heading into the finals, there's every reason for the Giants to be optimistic about winning their first-ever flag.
The only question mark surrounding their September charge is their midfield depth amid an injury cloud for Saturday's clash around gun tagger Toby Bedford and persistent shoulder issues for ruckman Kieren Briggs and experienced on-baller Stephen Coniglio.
"I feel like they can have broken shoulders and both still play," Taylor said of Briggs and Coniglio.
"They're both so tough. When you play finals footy every player has some sort of niggle. In saying that, having the week off has been great."
As for the Swans' potential weakness, critics often point at their key forward inconsistencies, despite the three-pronged threat of Logan McDonald, Joel Amartey and Hayden McLean.
But without one dominant target, their unpredictability can make match-ups tricky.
Especially for Taylor, who relishes the prospect of preparing for and then beating the opposition's main man.
"I definitely prefer having the one key man (to play on). I think that benefits the Swans, honestly. They're all capable of having a day out and you need to show them each a lot of respect," he said.
"If they don't have one big man firing, I could go deepest. We're a system-based backline so we just have to defend as a unit. Every contest will be as important as the next one."
The Giants will be out to make it four straight finals wins over their fiercest rivals, the most recent coming in 2021, while the Swans can make it four successive wins in Sydney Derbies, a feat not achieved since Sydney managed it from 2015 to '16.
In order to stop that run, Taylor says the Giants need to alter a concerning midfield trend that has been sparked by Errol Gulden who has won the last three Brett Kirk Medals.
"I feel like their heat, run and carry at stoppages was just too much for us and we need to minimise those sorts of players. We haven't got it done the last three times, so hopefully we can change that," he said.
