Zane Taylor

A champion Queenslander who was at his best when the stakes were highest … in finals and interstate games. So much so that he boasts a record unparalleled in both.

A half back flanker / midfielder originally from Footscray who joined Southport as a 17-year-old, he holds the record for most games for Queensland at 26. So highly regarded was he as a State team captain and performer that the Zane Taylor Medal is awarded to the best Queensland player in interstate matches.

Even more astonishing was his grand final record. He played in 16 grand finals in 16 years from 1975-90 missing out altogether in 1984 but playing in two grand finals in 1978 with Windsor-Zillmere and Southport under a curious permit arrangement.

In total he played 225 games with Southport, was a 10-time premiership player with the club, a four-time club champion and three-time premiership captain. An automatic Southport Hall of Famer who played more than 300 senior games in total.

He topped the vote count in the 1983 Grogan Medal with teammate Peter Guy and Sherwood’s Bill Peirce in Southport’s first season in the QAFL only to ineligible due to a controversial goal umpire’s report, but made amends when he won the Grogan in 1985. He also won the Joe Grant Medal in 1983 and 1990.

Admired most by teammates and opposition alike because of his reliability and team-first approach, he also played 27 AFL games with Geelong from 1980-83, including two senior preliminary final losses and three AFL Reserves grand finals.

Zane Taylor was inducted into the Queensland Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and elevated to Legend status in 2023.