MORE than a few spectators at the MCG on Sunday would have gone for the binoculars to confirm that it was, in fact, Harry Taylor who trotted over and stood next to Nick Riewoldt shortly before the opening bounce.
Not one of the galaxy of hardened defensive stars at Mark Thompson's disposal, but the 22-year-old playing in his first AFL final in his debut season - the supposed weak link in the chain.
It was a huge demonstration of the coach's faith in the young Western Australian and it paid huge dividends with Taylor restricting the Saints' star forward to a meagre nine possessions and one goal.
"It definitely helps me confidence-wise, probably in the long term I wouldn't know how much. It's hard to gauge," Taylor said after the key performance in the 58-point win.
"I watched a bit of vision of him during the week and tried to play in front of him as much as I could and tried to avoid the wrestle.
"I knew he was very aerobically fit [as well] so I knew I had my work cut out, but the main thing was I got so much help from the other guys around me, which made my job much easier."
Thompson's decision to go with Taylor in such a crucial role, not to mention the young Cat's subsequent efforts to repay that faith, have gone a long way to dispelling the notion that the road to victory for opposition teams runs via Taylor's immediate opponent.
"I put the papers away about four weeks ago fortunately [but] I heard I copped a bit of a baking," he said of the theory.
"But in reality, if I look at it truthfully, it's probably a fair point in a way, because I'm a new player down there and the other guys have played a lot more than me.
"So I guess it is the truth in a way, but I'm definitely not going to let that sort of stuff get to me, and just go out and try and play my role for the team each week."
And while Taylor derives a great deal of confidence from having players of the calibre of Matthew Scarlett, Tom Harley and Darren Milburn around him, the quality of his own contribution has further strengthened the meanest defence in the league.
"To be a first-year player and to come into statistically the best defensive back line in the competition is overwhelming really; it's a great environment to learn," he said.
"The coaching staff puts a lot of faith in me on occasions and fortunately I've been able to hold my own which gives me more confidence. It's reciprocal I guess; if I'm playing well they get confidence in me and I get confidence from them."
Taylor maintains he approached the match in the same manner as the previous 18 and it clearly worked for him as he not only made Riewoldt a non-factor, he also gathered 23 possessions and took 10 marks to help send the Cats into a preliminary final.
It's a scenario he hadn't considered even after the Cats snapped him up in the first round of last year's draft.
"I would have never thought I’d be playing in a qualifying final 12 months ago," he said.
"At this stage [of the year] I probably would have been studying for my physio exams and just finishing my WAFL year and relaxing. But it's been 12 months now and to be playing in a preliminary final is definitely 'pinch yourself' stuff for sure."
