AS UNPALATABLE as it might be for the renowned workaholic, Harry Taylor has finally come to the conclusion that he needs to find the time to switch off.
The Geelong defender's personality does not lend itself easily to rest. He is always searching for an added advantage and to make himself the best player by any means necessary.
It's a trait that has served the two-time All Australian well in his eight-season, 180-game career.
But the Geelong defender believes not taking the time to unwind was one of the key reasons why his 2015 season did not pan out the way he had envisaged.
"We didn't have the year that we wanted to as a team and as a leader of the club you really feel that burden," Taylor told AFL.com.au.
"It can be really mentally draining over the course of the year. We're always searching for the next inch and eventually you wear down a bit.
"So this year I'm trying to find ways to relax when it's the right time to do so."
The Cats missed the finals for the first time since 2006 and the consistent impact Taylor had enjoyed across games in previous years was not at the level he has come to expect from himself.
"I don't really like to think of the word failure when it comes to a footy season. Every opportunity you can learn from and I certainly learnt a lot from last year," Taylor said.
"I'm really hard on myself and my teammates when we're not doing the right thing. Last year, more so than other years, we weren't doing the right thing enough and that reflected in the way that we played."
With a quarter of Geelong's list turned over from last season, including the departures of club champions Steve Johnson, James Kelly and Mathew Stokes, Taylor said the club had a distinctly new feel about it.
The addition of experienced quartet Patrick Dangerfield, Zac Smith, Scott Selwood and Lachie Henderson has only added to the changing face of the Cats.
"Our identity hasn't been defined just yet but hopefully over the pre-season, we'll have a fair idea about what we stand for as a club," Taylor said.
"It will certainly be different because those guys (Johnson, Kelly and Stokes) brought a lot of life and energy to the team.
"Hopefully some other guys bring their personalities to the footy club, as well as their ability to play and train well, and make our place a great environment to be around."
The 29-year-old was part of the Australian team that toured New York and Ireland for last month's International Rules Series.
He was slowly reintroduced to pre-season training but is now back in full work, evidenced when he joined his teammates for a tough two-and-a-half hour session at Waurn Ponds baseball field on Wednesday.
The experienced Taylor is well aware of how important it is to take a long view of pre-season and be raring to go for the season start in late March.
"With the new interchange rule, I won't be rotated as much and I'll be spending a lot more time on the ground. It's important that a player who is in that position, like myself, is physically and mentally right to go," Taylor said.
"Being a bit older, it's important that I use the pre-season the right way. I've got to get better and set a good example for the younger players, but I still need to be ready to go for the season proper."
