Mitch Marsh, Hussien El Achkar, Max King, Arki Butler, Wes Walley.
That list of many of the best junior forwards across the country in 2025 doubles as a catalogue of opponents Xavier Taylor has quelled in 2025.
The Eastern Ranges prospect's trademark skill is his intercepting.
Taylor reads the cues of midfielders like few others, knows when to peel off, how to cut angles and takes big grabs with ease.
A mad Richmond supporter, Taylor grew up modelling his game on premiership Tigers Nick Vlastuin and Nathan Broad and has comparable traits with the way he acts as a general in defence.
Early in 2025, his Coates League coach Lauren Morecroft told Zero Hanger of a desire to play him on different types of forwards to help showcase the breadth of his skillset and he's relished the challenge
Marsh kicked just one goal - admittedly from four scoring shots - against Vic Metro, and Taylor's game was highly regarded given his team's midfield was under siege and Marsh received splendid and abundant supply.
“He's probably the hardest opponent I've come up against and some of the stuff he does off ball is pretty hard to withstand and not a lot of people notice it, so I learned a lot from that,” Taylor said of Marsh.
“It's good to be able to look back and see the names I've been able to take on and know I'm capable of doing it or learning a lot about certain matchups that I can work on.”
Taylor kept King and Walley goalless and El Achkar, who has averaged four scoring shots per game in the Coates League in 2025, to just one goal.
His improved ability to nullify and hassle opponents, though, has been overshadowed and complemented by his ability to create as a bold line breaker with ball in hand.
“He can play on the nippy forwards, and he's probably played on the big guys predominantly,” Morecroft said.
“He can now intercept and beat you at ground level and run and carry too.
“He's a guy that starts our attack too now, so he's probably always been a great interceptor but now he can do those things and not just defend and attack really well.”
“The decision-making has grown – he was probably a bit cautious last year with his kick but now he has a lot of confidence with his run and carry and his step and speed so we see a rounded defender now."
Taylor has averaged 18 disposals and six marks at Coates League level this season and 15 disposals and five marks as a staple of Vic Metro's defence.
An enormous first month of 2025 at Coates League level laid the foundation for a fantastic year – to the point where he's a chance of featuring as high as the top 10.
In a crop where openly available taller defenders are scarce, his blend of marking, athleticism and excitement factor are compelling.
“I feel like I've turned myself into a hybrid defender rather than just being that lockdown player,” Taylor said.
“Going to that next level next year hopefully, I'm probably a bit too small to play a pure lockdown role so having that run and carry is something I've added.”
“It's still developing, and I have a fair bit to go but it's been good to show I can do that as well.
“It was good to work with some of (Eastern Ranges) forwards and show in ‘Champs' I can play on different sorts of players which was good.
“That power coming out of the backline is something I have that I've started showing off more which is good.”
Having graduated from Rowville Sports Academy last year, Taylor is keeping busy working with a cousin at Kilsyth Basketball Stadium.
Like many, Taylor grew up playing footy and basketball and nearly represented Victoria at U16s basketball, narrowly missing out before shifting his attention towards footy.
Rowville Sports Academy has produced a stack of recent AFL talent headlined by Nick Watson and Cooper Hynes, whom Taylor shares a strong relationship with.
Another former schoolmate he's tight with is small forward Lachy Dovaston with the pair squaring off at local junior footy since U12s, becoming close through the Eastern Ranges program in U16s.
“We're really close,” Taylor said.
“We're down at Project Gap together and all through pre-season he tested me with my running and vice versa with the gym stuff.
“I've done a lot of stuff with him where I try to contain him as a small forward which has been really beneficial to bring into games against similar types of players this year.”
