Turner proud to join Swan Medal winners

Jesse Turner has left no stone unturned to get the best out of himself for Swan Districts and that's why he couldn’t be prouder to now be able to call himself a Swan Medallist as he chases that dream of becoming a premiership player.

The Swan Medal Count was held on Saturday night at Mandoon Estate to celebrate the 2022 WAFL season.

By the end of the night, it was Swan Districts wingman and vice-captain Jesse Turner who won the Swan Medal for the first time as the league fairest and best to top off a brilliant season from the 26-year-old.

Along the way, Turner was named to the WAFL Team of the Year, played for the WAFL State Team against South Australia, and was vice-captain at Swan Districts as his 119-game career continues to go from strength to strength.

He was the leading ball winner across the WAFL competition as well with 551 disposals at an average of 30.6 a game to poll 183 votes in the Swan Medal count to take out the award for the first time.

Runner-up was Aidan Clarke who also had the best season of his 51-game career to finish on 91 votes ahead of the returning Tobe Watson on 90. Elijah Hewett was named Rookie of the Year and Chris Jones the leading goalkicker.

Meanwhile, for the reserves team who made the finals in 2022, Max Chipper backed up winning the Prendergast Medal by also being named fairest and best at Swan Districts ahead of Lewis Tester and Ben Hewett.

And in the colts, Darcy Jones was named fairest and best ahead of Angus Laurisson, Jack Saunders and Luke Kelly.

As for Turner, winning the Swan Medal is something that means the world to him although his ultimate goal remains that premiership.

"It definitely means a lot. Obviously it's not the medal I hoped for going into this season and I would have preferred to play for a premiership, but to follow players like Tallan Ames, Tony Notte, Matt Riggio, Ryan Davis and even more recently Gaulty and Frank, it sets you back a bit," Turner said.

"When you kind of put me in the conversation of some of those blokes it doesn’t really feel right for what they've accomplished. I've looked at the board of previous winners of players before I was even there and to know I'm also a winner of the Swan Medal it's a huge achievement, and honour."

What makes Turner even more proud to become a Swan Medallist is because he knows how hard he has had to work to take his body and game to a point now where he's among the elite WAFL players.

"When you look back to my colts days and when I first came up into the senior program and people thought I'd struggle to even play reserves after being dropped for the colts grand final," he said.

"I don’t think anyone ever thought I'd get to a stage of even being in the running for a Swan Medal let alone win it. To me it's a bit of acknowledgement for a lot of hard work I've put in over the years, and the sacrifices and time I've dedicated to get the most out of myself individually and as a team.

"It does mean a lot to win it and it's something I will look back on once I finish footy and I'll be very proud of it."

Turner now having become a Swan Medal winner, a State player, a member of the WAFL Team of the Year and the leading ball winner in the competition has all come about through nothing but sheer determination and dedication from him.

He has been handed nothing along the journey, in fact he's had obstacles thrown in his way the whole way through including being dropped for a colts grand final, being told he wasn’t fit enough or good enough to play league football, and having doubters rack up all the time.

However, all Turner did was use that as added motivation. He got stuck into the hard work to the point now where he is one of the fittest and hardest running players in the WAFL, and someone who just grinds his opposition into the dirt and can continue to outrun, and outwork them.

Knowing how hard he has had to work and how many people he's had to prove wrong makes Turner even more proud to earn an award like the Swan Medal.

"Coming out of colts where I played most of the games before the grand final and got told when I came up to seniors I wasn’t strong enough or fit enough, and chances are I wouldn’t even play reserves," Turner said.

"It was that meeting I had where things kind of switched for me and ever since the last seven years I've put in the hours of work and even though there's so many more downs than ups, it's worth it.

"I keep having setbacks along the way and things don’t go to plan, and some days you train in the morning, twice in the afternoon and you're absolutely dead tired, and you give up family and social time because you have this obsession to get the best out of yourself.

"Sometimes you wonder if you are doing it right and if it's all worth it, but then achievements like this show that maybe you are doing something right. Not many people up until the last couple of years knew much about me, but I've had the same mindset of just giving it everything I've got," Turner added.

"I'm obsessed with this and I'm doing it for something bigger than me. I have a little eight-year-old brother and I want to show him what you can achieve no matter what people say or how many times you get knocked down.

"I now get younger players ask for my advice and look up to me, and that's what I'm doing it for. I'm trying to show that you can achieve big things even when you are told you never will. "

While Turner always wanted to be a quality WAFL player, more than anything he wanted to be an inspirational teammate and leader, and someone everyone he played with could see what he's putting in, and come along for the ride.

That's why Turner idolised Subiaco premiership legends Leigh Kitchin and Kyal Horsley as two players he modelled his game and mindset on. You could say he's doing a good job especially the many similarities you can see to Horsley.

But more than that, Turner is also taking it seriously to be a role model for so many others whether it's his own brother or the next generation at Steel Blue Oval.

"What really stood out to me with them is as great as they are as players, but it was their leadership and the way they conducted themselves," Turner said.

"You could tell the way their teammates followed their lead so I looked at what they did and have tried to do similar. And in terms of being a role model, when I first started out and I was doing the training I was kind of just trying to prove to myself I was good enough.

"But as I've gotten older, I have realised I can actually impact more people than just myself. Obviously my little brother is my best friend and I try to do everything I can for him. For him to then tell me he's proud of me and follows my games so closely, there's no better feeling.

"And now having some people who I don’t even know looking up to me a little bit or asking me for training tips or whatever it might be, it's really opened my eyes and I've become a lot more open to it as a leader, and helping others.

"I've still got a lot to learn in terms of that leadership and role model side, but it's something I've come a long way in and will continue to build on."

While Turner's own game is at its peak right now, his focus is on trying to win Swan Districts' first premiership since 2010. With a new coach on board in Andrew Pruyn and a playing group with ever growing belief of what they can do, Turner isn’t afraid to set the goals high for 2023.

"We've now shown that we can beat anyone on our day, we were the last team to beat West Perth, and I think for us it's finding that consistency and having that belief from the whole group that we are good enough," Turner said.

"We've been a hard working team who has been competitive for a while now, but the biggest thing for us is to have that belief. I do believe a lot of the boys started to feel we could take that leap this year to actually contend for a premiership.

"Now I think coming into this next season the boys are already firing and can't wait to get into pre-season because I think that confidence is really starting to grow.

"We do have a real young list still and we are getting to a stage now where those boys who have played 20, 30 or 40 games are starting to believe in their own ability, and what this team can do.

"We're not hiding away from the fact that we are expecting a top three finish and to be right in it and competing for the premiership come September, October next year."

LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

Swan Medal winner (Fairest and Best): Jesse Turner

Norm Thomas Memorial Award (Runner-Up): Aidan Clarke

Mrs N Innes Memorial Award (Third-Place): Tobe Watson

Jack Hickling Memorial Award (Most Outstanding Player on and off field): Jesse Turner

RA Newbey Award (Rookie of the Year): Elijah Hewett

Ted Holdsworth Memorial Award (Leading Goalkicker): Chris Jones (29 goals)

RESERVES AWARD WINNERS

FA Bonney Sweetapple Memorial Award (Fairest and Best): Max Chipper

DC Goddard Memorial Award (Runner-Up): Lewis Tester

Lew Armstrong Award (Third-Place): Benjamin Hewett

WAFL Combined Past Players and Officials Association Encouragement Award: Adam Justice

COLTS AWARD WINNERS

EJ McManus Award (Fairest and Best): Darcy Jones

Judy Sarich Memorial Award (Runner-Up): Angus Laurisson, Jack Saunders

Cooper Brothers Award (Third-Place): Luke Kelly

WAFL Combined Past Players and Officials Association Encouragement Award: Blake Bombardieri

CLUB AWARD WINNERS

PJ Bright Memorial Award (Best Club Person): Eliza and Tim Outred

Joe Pearce Courage Memorial Award: Mark McNair