James Joseph Taylor (6 January 1932 – 18 April 2000) was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1950s.

Family The son of James Edward Arthur Taylor (1884-1956),Deaths: Taylor, The Argus, (Monday, 16 April 1956), p. 12. and Amy Linda Taylor (1899-1993), née Farnsworth, James Joseph Taylor was born on 6 January 1932.

He married Evelyn Ruth Stockton on 14 March 1953.Footballer to Wed, The (Melbourne) Sun News-Pictorial, (Wednesday, 11 March 1953), p. 1.Footballer Marries, The Argus, (Monday, 16 March 1953), p.7. They had two children: James Scott Taylor (b.1954) and Ross Stockton Taylor (b.1958).

Junior career Athletics He was a successful schoolboy athlete who competed as both a sprinter and a high-jumper at Caulfield Grammar School.

At the 1947 Associated Grammar Schools Combined Athletics Meeting, Taylor won both the under-16 high-jump and the open high-jump — his winning jump in each event was Caulfield Win Well in A.G.S. Sports, (Saturday, 1 November 1947), p.46.Caulfield Wins the "Age" & "Leader" Cup, The Age, (Saturday, 1 November 1947), p.12. — and, according to Wilkinson (1997, p. 151), he was part of the winning team in the under-16 4x220 yard relay.Wilkinson (1997, p.151) states that "the under-16 team was: Jim Taylor, Ian Chittick, Don Brown, and Jim Bearham", whilst The Age lists the winning team as "I. Chittick, [Geoffrey C.] Castle, J. Bearham, and D. Brown". Wilkinson had unlimited access to C.G.S. school records when researching his book, and so it is unclear whether (a) The Age report is mistaken, (b) the C.G.S. records are mistaken, or (c) Taylor was, in fact, selected to run in the team, but replaced only at the last minute, at the St Kilda Cricket Ground on the day of the meeting, possibly due to fatigue, or to an injury sustained during his two high-jump competitions.

At the 1948 A.G.S. Combined Sports he won the open high-jump, setting a new record of , and won the open 100 yards (in 10.7 secs),Grammar Schools, The Argus, (Saturday, 6 November 1948), p.23. which was an extraordinary feat, given that he had badly strained his ankle a week earlier, and had been unable to train at all for the five days prior to the competition.Postponed Events to Decide School Sports, The Argus, (Saturday, 6 November 1948), p.23. He also competed in the long-jump.High-Jump Records Go, The Age, (Saturday, 6 November 1948), p.18.

At 15 he had already cleared using a "scissors jump" technique. His best-ever jump was . He eventually gave up high jumping because he became too heavy; and, in particular, because no up-to-date high jump coaching was available to him.Forward, "Visitors Expect to do Well Today", The West Australian, (Saturday, 22 July 1950), p.16.

Football He played in Caulfield Grammar's First XVIII; and, in 1949, he was recruited from the V.A.F.A. team Caulfield Grammarians.

Senior career Promoted from the Third XVIII, and then the Second XVIII, Taylor played his first senior match for South Melbourne, at 17,South Melb Defers Final Selection, (Friday, 8 July 1949), p.18. VFL Teams Chosen, (Friday, 8 July 1949), p.18.Lake Pennant at Stake, The Argus, (Friday 15 July 1949), p.14. on 16 July 1949 (round 13) against St Kilda at the St Junction Oval. Playing as a forward pocket and in the second ruck,League Football Teams Chosen, The Argus, (Friday 15 July 1949), p.14. he kicked one goal and was one of South Melbourne's best players.League Match Statistics, The Argus, (Monday 18 July 1949), p.16.

He played as both a defender (mainly centre-half back) and ruckman for South Melbourne,Blake, J., "South's Young Star", The Sporting Globe, (Wednesday, 27 June 1951), p.10. and was a regular for both Victoria and South Melbourne during the next decade.

He played 81 senior games with South Melbourne between 1949 and 1954.

In 1955, aged 23, he moved to Norwood in the South Australian National Football League.Richardson, J., "South Clears Taylor to Norwood", The Age, (Wednesday, 11 May 1955), p.18. He played 13 S.A.F.L. games for Norwood, including the Grand Final, in which he was the best player for the losing team. He played four Interstate matches for South Australia in 1955.

He then returned to South Melbourne and played another 72 senior VFL matches from 1956 to 1961.Beames, P., "South Want Taylor Back", The Age, (Monday, 21 November 1955), p.18.

Taylor played in the first ruck in his first return match (round 1, 1956) against Geelong at the Lake Oval.League Teams, The Age, (Friday, 13 April 1956), p.19. The match against Geelong was a very low standard scrappy affair. Geelong won 11.11 (77) to 7.8 (50), and Taylor was one of South Melbourne's best players (on one occasion he took a spectacular diving one-handed mark, with his left hand). Taylor came off the ground after the match only to be told that his father, who had served as vice-president of the South Melbourne Football Club from 1952 to 1954, had died in the committee reserve whilst the match was in progress, and that his mother had requested that he not be told until after the match was over.Dies Watching His Son Play, The Age, (Monday, 16 April 1956), p.16.Star has lost his best fan, The Argus, (Monday, 16 April 1956), p. 20.

He represented Victoria at interstate football 13 occasions.

In 1973 he was chairman of selectors at South Melbourne.Beames, P., "South upset by umpiring", The Age, (Monday, 27 August 1973), p.26.

Awards He was South Melbourne's Best and Fairest player in 1953 and 1957.

In 1957 he was fourth in the Brownlow Medal, and in 1961, his final VFL season, he finished equal fifth, in a year he played only 12 games

See also List of Caulfield Grammar School people

Footnotes

References

External links

AFL Player Statistics (Round by Round): South Melbourne Football Club 1949