The Brisbane footballer’s first 85 AFL games have yielded just 18 wins but he is confident those dark days at the Den will culminate in a return to power.

“You’d think with us being on the bottom of the ladder that it would be a poor place to be around but the boys were still loving it and were very excited and wanted the season to keep going because we were playing some pretty competitive football,” Taylor said of the Lions’ end to the 2017 season.

The Terang Mortlake export is hopeful that positive mindset will be reflected on the ladder next year.

“I haven’t had as much team success as other guys who got drafted in my year but I have enjoyed it nonetheless,” he said.

“I suppose coming in you don’t know what to expect but it’s been awesome to tell you the truth.

“I haven’t had a lot of wins but I can see that turning around and it will be that much sweeter to me.

“Once that team success comes, it will definitely be worth the hard yards early on I have put in and that the guys have put in who have been right beside me.”

Taylor returned for Brisbane pre-season training last week alongside fellow Hampden exports Hugh McCluggage and Cedric Cox.

The fifth-year Lion feels settled at the elite level after missing just three games since his debut in round one 2014.

“You get through your first couple of years and try, as all young players do, to get a kick, but once you get older your focus moves off yourself and more about the team,” Taylor said.

“We were pretty good there in the second half of the season so hopefully we can continue that in the first half of next season and try and get a fair few wins on the board which would be nice.”

Taylor kicked 17 goals and averaged 19 disposals in 2017.

The 2014 AFL rising star winner said he expected to play a small forward-midfield role under second-year coach Chris Fagan next season.

“Fages is pretty big on blokes being able to play multiple positions,” he said.

“If we can swing through and give the midfielders a chop out, just change it up a bit and share the workload, which he is pretty big on, (that’s a plus).

“I will just work on getting as fit as a I can before round one and hopefully hit the ground running.”

Taylor, who is locked in at the Lions until the end of 2019, said signing four-time Hawthorn premiership defender Luke Hodge was a coup.

“He’s going to be pretty important for us and the guys down back especially because we’re pretty young down there so he’ll be able to direct and pass his knowledge,” he said.