Elijah Taylor Biography

Elijah Taylor is prohibited from playing in the WAFL until June, and his slim hopes of earning an AFL lifeline via the mid-season draft this year are also over after being banned by the AFL for the rest of 2021.

Taylor was fined $5000 by the Perth Magistrates Court for assaulting his former girlfriend in a Perth hotel last September. The 19-year-old repeatedly punched his former girlfriend and hit her on the back with a belt during the assault.

"Violence against women in any form is abhorrent and we strongly condemn it." the AFL's executive general manager of game development Andrew Dillon said.

"Our view is clear and unequivocal - violence against women is never OK in any circumstance - ever. The sanctions imposed by the AFL reflect the seriousness of Mr. Taylor's breach of the AFL Rules and values."

Elijah Taylor is spared jail and issued a spent conviction over the assault of his ex-girlfriend at a Perth hotel in which he struck her with a belt and punched her in the back of the head.

Taylor, 19, pleaded guilty in Perth Magistrates Court to unlawfully assaulting Lekahni Pearce on September 13 and causing her bodily harm.

Sydney parts ways with first-year forward Elijah Taylor as he awaits sentencing for an aggravated assault charge.

"The situation Elijah and the club has found itself in is deeply regrettable. Elijah has made some very poor decisions which have led us to this point, and he acknowledges that," Sydney executive general manager Charlie Gardiner said in a statement.

"This is certainly not a position we have arrived at lightly. However, Elijah's actions could not be reconciled."

Elijah Taylor pleads guilty to a charge of aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm arising from an incident at a Perth hotel earlier in September.

Taylor was stood down by the Swans a fortnight ago after police charged him for the incident after having been already banned for the season when he broke AFL and WA government protocols by sneaking his then-girlfriend into the club's quarantine hub in Joondalup.

"These were very serious charges and something we never want to see in the community, much less have one of our players involved in," Sydney's general manager of football Charlie Gardiner said.

"I would like to reiterate our club's very strong position that violence against women, in any form, is never acceptable and we strongly condemn it."

The AFL career of Elijah Taylor is in doubt after being told by Sydney to stand down from all club commitments effective immediately.

Sydney's decision was made after Taylor was charged and arrested by police following an incident in Perth on Sunday morning where Taylor, 19, has been charged with aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm. He will appear in a Perth court later this month.

"As a result of the serious nature of these charges, coupled with Elijah's failure to abide by club directives on a number of occasions this year, we have made the decision to stand him down from all club commitments immediately. We will review this position as the situation unfolds," Sydney CEO Tom Harley said.

"We believe this is the most appropriate course of action giving respect to all involved, and in light of the impending court proceedings."

Serious allegations made on social media against Elijah Taylor have come to the attention of the AFL and Sydney. The social media post about the alleged incident has since been taken down.

The allegations were made on by the woman who was involved in Taylor's breach of COVID-19 protocols last month, which saw him banned for the remainder of the season.

"The Sydney Swans are aware of allegations made on social media regarding first-year player Elijah Taylor. The allegations are very serious and are being treated as such. The club has notified the AFL and is not in a position to comment further at this time," a statement from the Swans said.

Sydney co-captain Luke Parker challenges Elijah Taylor to take hold of his AFL future after the young Swan was suspended for the rest of the 2020 season due to his COVID-19 breach.

"Elijah made a really poor decision, knowing beforehand the consequences of what would have happened," Parker said.

"We still need him to grow as a person and we want to give him every opportunity to have a successful AFL career. He's got some choices to make, but no doubt the group's going to do everything we can to support him."

Elijah Taylor is suspended for the rest of the 2020 season after breaching the AFL's COVID-19 protocols when his partner entered the Sydney Swans quarantine accommodation in Western Australia when not authorised to do so.

The Sydney Swans have been sanctioned $50,000 for the breach, with $25,000 of that amount suspended.

"The actions by Elijah not only breach the AFL’s protocols, but made it a police matter by breaching the Western Australian COVID-19 quarantine directions. When in quarantine the rules are clear and there is no excuse for this breach," AFL General Counsel Andrew Dillon said.

Elijah Taylor makes his AFL debut for Sydney at the SCG with 9 disposals (6 kicks and 3 handballs) and a mark in a 32-point loss to Gold Coast.

Elijah Taylor will make his AFL debut this week and credits living with Lance Franklin, when he moved to Sydney, as being a big influence on his development as a footballer.

"Bud has been huge for me. Living with him for the first month or so, just to see how he went about it, how professional he was, opened my eyes to the way AFL football is," Taylor said.

Tim kelly is Elijah Taylor's mum's second cousin. The Kickett brothers – Dale and Derek – are on his dad's side of the family, while Nicky Winmar and Paddy Ryder are also in his bloodlines.

On family links alone, Taylor looks a first-round pick at this year's NAB AFL Draft. And he might be anyway. Taylor proved himself to be one of the most exciting prospects in this year's draft crop at the under-18 championships, pushing himself into top-20 contention.

"I've had a few messages with [Kelly] here and there, and he's said to just keep going," Taylor said.

"I try not to think about it all too much but when I do it is pretty exciting. For now, I'm just focused on my footy," he said.