Sydney Swans recruit Lewis Taylor has enjoyed the start to his time at his new club with the SCG already beginning to feel like home.
The Swans secured Taylor via a three-way trade with Brisbane and Carlton during October’s trade period and the nuggety speedster is now half-way through his first pre-season in red and white.
The 24-year-old joined fellow recruits Sam Gray and Kaiden Brand for the pre-Christmas block of pre-season training and is now set to resume the grind when Sydney’s full squad returns on Friday.
Taylor found it tricky leaving Brisbane after 112 AFL games in six seasons but is already at ease in Sydney colours.
“I’ve been super-impressed with the club, to be honest. The club was really welcoming and really friendly and has just helped me settle in really well. I’m settled in now, I’ve got a place to stay and I’m really looking forward to the 2020 season,” Taylor told Victorian radio station RSN.
“It was definitely difficult to leave the Lions. I went up there as an 18-year-old and made some good friends with players, staff and even people in Brisbane. It’s always going to be hard to leave, but at the end of the day I think I’ve done what’s best for myself and my football going forward. Hopefully it can pay off while I’m in Sydney.”
Brisbane recruited Taylor from the Geelong Falcons with pick 28 at the 2013 AFL Draft and he showed promising signs from the beginning, kicking 12 goals across 22 games en route to claiming the 2014 AFL Rising Star award.
The Victorian slotted 88 goals as a Lion including two bags of four, and while he managed just five senior games in 2019, he booted three majors in the NEAFL Grand Final as Brisbane rounded out an undefeated season.
Taylor expects to play in the same positions for the Swans as he did as a Lion.
“It’ll just be similar to where I was last year where I was on a wing and at half-forward,” Taylor said.
“I like to move up the ground so I was training in the midfield in pre-season training before Christmas.
“We start back on Friday and I’m excited to get back into it. We’ll be getting into a bit more game-situation stuff which will be good."
