Sam Taylor hails from rural Western Australia as the third of seven children. He graduated from the AFL Academy and was selected with pick 28 in the 2017 AFL Draft. A premier full-back known for his exceptional ability to lock down opponents and dominate through brilliant intercept marking, Taylor has been named All-Australian twice (2022, 2025). In 2025, he led the entire competition in total and average intercept marks per game while placing inside the top 10 for contested marks. Taylor won the Kevin Sheedy Medal in 2022 and signed a seven-year contract extension with the Giants.