Brian Taylor (Australian footballer)

Brian Taylor (born 10 April 1962) is a former Australian rules footballer and current Australian Football League (AFL) commentator on television for the Seven Network. He played with Richmond and Collingwood from 1980 to 1990.

Taylor was only 16 when recruited from Mandurah, Western Australia, to the Richmond Football Club.

The moustached Taylor, known as "BT" and "Bristle", began his VFL career with Richmond in 1980. He was a full-forward at the same club as the legendary Michael Roach. It was for this reason that he was left out of the 1980 Grand Final team. He eventually left the Tigers at the end of the 1984 season, having played 43 games and kicking 156 goals. His height was 191 cm and his weight was 102 kg.

In 1985, Taylor joined Collingwood. He kicked 100 goals in 1986 to win the Coleman Medal. Due to repeated knee injuries, he retired from playing in the AFL at the end of the 1990 season at 28 years of age. He had played 97 games for Collingwood, kicking 371 goals.

In 1991 Taylor became playing coach of Prahran in the VFA. In 1992, after he had kicked 16 and 9 goals in the opening two rounds, his knee gave way and he retired from playing after finishing that season with 64 goals. Continuing as coach, he again took the Two Blues to the finals. He retired as coach shortly before the 1994 season due to media commitments.

Towards the end of his playing career, Taylor was approached to write a weekly column in the Sunday Herald newspaper. He keep a diary throughout the 1990 season, publishing it as Black and White: The Taylor Diaries.

On radio, Taylor started out with 3UZ in 1992 before becoming was the lead commentator for the Triple M commentary team from 1997 when the station became the first FM radio station to broadcast Australian rules football matches.