SAM TAYLOR'S sensational season for Greater Western Sydney has been capped off with his first Kevin Sheedy Medal as the Giants' club champion for 2022 in a glitzy awards ceremony on Friday.
Two days after claiming his first All-Australian blazer, the star defender's career-best campaign was given further recognition as he romped away to claim the honour with 156 votes, some 48 votes clear of co-captain Stephen Coniglio in second place.
Taylor featured in every game for the Giants in 2022 and excelled to such a level that he was named at centre half-back in the All-Australian team despite the Giants finishing 16th with only six wins for the season.
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The 23-year-old, who told AFL.com.au earlier this season that he 'wants to be the best back in the game', put himself firmly in that discussion by finishing the year equal second for intercept marks, outright second for spoils and ninth in contested marks across the competition.
His breakout campaign also comes just two seasons after he was sidelined for almost an entire year with septic arthritis which saw him lose eight kilograms and be forced to re-build his body again.
"We've always known he's an incredibly hard-working and skilful player, but what he’s been able to achieve this season is nothing short of remarkable, particularly given the amount of work our backline had to do," said Giants General Manager of Football Jason McCartney.
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"Sam has rare competitiveness, even by professional footballers’ standards. This season we've seen him step up to lead the backline and his growth and maturity has been fantastic to watch."
Earmarked as a future captain of the Giants, Taylor took the lead in round 18 of the Sheedy Medal count and cruised to victory with a flawless final six weeks of the season.
Coniglio's second-placed finish rubber stamps his return to the elite level of the competition, as the 28-year-old bounced back from two injury-riddled seasons to average 25 disposals a game and kick 17 goals.
Despite being managed out of the side amid a form slump in the second half of the year, gun on-baller Tom Green finished 3rd on 104 votes ahead of Harry Himmelberg who flourished in a mid-season move into defence to finish fourth.
Star forward Jesse Hogan put together his best season and goal return since 2018 with 35 majors to finish fifth in the count.
Toby Greene pipped him to the leading goalkicker award though, to claim it for the third time with 37 goals.
Smooth-moving utility Jacob Wehr won the club's rising star award after featuring in 10 games from round 10 and averaging 12 disposals.
Classy lock-down midfielder Harry Perryman won the coaches award, while swingman Jarrod Brander won the Giants' VFL player of the year.
The Kevin Sheedy Medal is voted on by the coaches. After every game, each coach awards votes to as many players as they see fit on a scale of one to four with four being the highest possible score per player. A coach can award votes to every player, or no players, for any given game.
2022 Kevin Sheedy Medal Top 10:
1. Sam Taylor - 156 votes
2. Stephen Coniglio - 108
3. Tom Green - 104
4. Harry Himmelberg - 99
5. Jesse Hogan - 93
6. Harry Perryman - 91
7. Toby Greene - 90
8. Josh Kelly - 89
9. Isaac Cumming - 86
10. Callan Ward - 79
Past Winners
2022 – Sam Taylor
2021 - Josh Kelly
2020 - Nick Haynes and Lachie Whitfield
2019 - Tim Taranto
2018 - Lachie Whitfield
2017 - Josh Kelly
2016 - Toby Greene
2015 - Heath Shaw
2014 - Shane Mumford
2013 - Jeremy Cameron
2012 - Callan Ward
Other Award Winners
Rising Star Award: Jacob Wehr
Members Award: Tom Green
VFL Player of the Year: Jarrod Brander
Leading Goalkicker: Toby Greene - 37 goals
Coaches Award: Harry Perryman
Academy Player of the Year: Harry Rowston
Mark of the Year: Toby Greene - Round 19 v Carlton
Goal of the Year: Josh Kelly - Round 18 v Brisbane
