TAUBERT, Steven

Steve Taubert was a ruckman and back pocket from Richmond where he played 15 games from 1974 to 1976. Prior to that he played with Melbourne High School Old Boys.

He was an excellent mark and a hard worker but, lacking the pace and skill to become a star player, he struggled to become a permanent member of the team. He proved himself, however, a more than capable defender, usually given the task of minding the tall resting ruckman.

Taubert left Essendon to play 44 games with the Sydney Swans from 1982 to 1984. He struck his best form with the Swans and he finished fourth in the Brownlow Medal in 1984. He then became a skills coach with the Swans in 1986.

He was captain-coach at St George in New South Wales in 1987 and they finished runners-up that year. He then returned to Sydney as ruck coach in 1999 and built a wonderful reputation as a "ruck whisperer", guiding the careers of the Swans' ruckmen. He retired at the end of the 2017 season.