Geelong’s All Australian centre half back Harry Taylor has labelled team mate Matthew Scarlett as his inspiration.
Scarlett, who will become the ninth Geelong player to reach the 250 game milestone next Tuesday, drew high praise from Taylor
“He is a revered figure within our club,” Taylor wrote in his weekly Geelong Advertiser column. “I remember back to when I first got to the Geelong Football Club and how I would follow him and Dasher Milburn around everywhere, watching them as they ate, spoke and trained. I just wanted to be like them. He and along with Dasher Milburn is a major reason I am a premiership player. “
While Scarlett’s on field efforts are there for everyone to see, it’s his off field work that only the club’s insiders get to see.
“Scarlo plays and trains to win,” Taylor wrote. “I was taught from a very young age that the best way to learn is to watch, watch someone doing something right enough times and you are bound to pick up the idea. Scarlo does things right all the time and so to an AFL freshman he seemed the perfect model to follow.
“I watched countless edits of his AFL games. I wanted to learn off the best. I use his talent, his skill and his ability to inspire myself to improve and to never concede. I feel I have let him down when I don’t play well.
"I cherish a moment in the 2009 grand final when the final siren sounded. I turned and saw Scarlo. We just jumped around like kids at Christmas. I will never forget that moment and have a photo of it hanging in pride of place in my mind. You don’t get to play with players worthy of being considered a champion very often.
“I have been fortunate enough to not only play with one, but a whole team of them. I cherish every game I play with Scarlo because I don’t know when it could be my last. His 250th game will be another chance for me to help our team win and show Scarlo some gratitude for helping inspire me as an AFL player.“
