Hard work, dedication gets Turner to life membership

Through nothing but sheer hard work, commitment and that desire to get the best out of himself, Jesse Turner is about to become a Swan Districts life member but it's that team success driving him on now more than anything.

Turner has never had anything handed to him and he used the pain of missing out early in his life and most notably the colts grand final in 2014 to only continue to work harder and to prove not only those doubters wrong, but to show what was possible if he outworked everyone. 

The current co-captain at Swans knew that he hadn't been handed any physical gifts and that nobody would hand him anything so if he wanted to achieve success, the only way to do that was to dedicate himself to outworking everybody else.

There are no shortcuts to becoming the player that Turner now is and he has built his reputation as the best and hardest running player in the WAFL, and you can only do that by working harder than everybody else.

That's why he now deserves any success that comes his way and that has included winning the past two Swan Medals, graduating to co-captaincy with Swan Districts and having been named to the WAFL Team of the Year in five of the past six seasons.

He has now also been recognised by playing in three State games including being vice-captain earlier in 2024 and now this Saturday when Swan Districts plays host to Claremont, he reaches 150 games at Steel Blue Oval to earn life membership.

Becoming a life member

When Turner was coming through the development squads and then colts at Swan Districts, he always felt as nobody saw him as much of a prospect for the future. That's why he knew if he was to achieve his dream to play in the WAFL, it was going to be on the back of hard work.

That's what makes him so proud to now reach 150 games with Swan Districts and to earn life membership, because he knows he has earned selection in every single one of those 150 matches with nothing at all handed to him.

"It means a lot to be able to say you're a life member and not only your football club, but a WAFL club," Turner said.

"I said something similar when I was playing my 100th and when you first come in you're just worrying about getting a game and then you're just focused on doing what you can to keep your spot for the first couple of years.

"Then of a sudden, time goes real fast and you kind of lose track of how many games you've played, but to be able to say now that I've played 150 games is something that when your career is done you can be proud of.

"But looking at it now it's somehting I'm very proud of and it shows the amount of preparation it takes to get your body right and the work that goes into becoming a consistent player to keep getting picked 150 times. It's a huge honour to be able to become a life member of Swans."

This firing team of 2024

While Turner is rightfully proud to have turned himself into the player that he has who is such a prolific ball winner, such a hard runner and someone who wills himself to contest after and contest, it's team success at this point of his career that trumps anything.

Across his 149-game career so far, Turner has only played in three final matches and only one of those was a win which was the elimination final against West Perth at Steel Blue Oval all the way back in 2017 where he had 27 possessions and a goal.

An elimination final loss in 2021 to South Fremantle in what was the 101st game of his career is the last final Turner has played in so that makes him aprreciate any prospect of that changing in 2024.

Swans have now won six straight matches heading into Saturday's game with Claremont at Steel Blue Oval sitting in third position and Turner hopes that they can keep that momentum going to make it a memorable 2024.

"We do have a lot of younger players and I think it's important to realise that this hasn't been the norm for us over the last few years," Turner said.

"We've only made finals a couple of times in my career and we've usually been around the middle of the park, and it shows how hard it has been to get to a stage where now we are competing for a finals spot and are playing good footy.

"We know you can't take seasons like this for granted because they are not promised. It's no guarantee that we'll win another six games in-a-row like we have now so you just have to make sure you enjoy it and have a lot of fun, but at the same time keep trying to improve and work hard.

"If you look at all our guys who have played a lot of footy, we know that it has been tough at times, but it is making this season a lot more enjoyable.

"At the same time, we're a very focused group and at the end of the day where we are right now isn't where we want to end up. We have a lot more work to do but it is definitely fun playing footy at Swan Districts right now."

Sharing milestone day with Tony Notte

On top of Saturday's game being a significant one against Claremont in the context of the season for Swans and it being a big milestone day for Turner, Tony Notte will also equal the club's games record of 305 matches with the legendary Bill Walker.

Turner just happens to be wearing the same No. 29 that Walker adorned with such distinction and he can't help but look on in admiration of everything Notte has done, and continues to do.

"He's one of the most selfless people and players you will ever meet. He's never one who cares his own game or himself, it's always been about the team and it's an underrated aspect to play the amount of footy he has with the way he plays," Turner said.

"He is obviously lightly framed but the amount of pack marks he takes and goes back with the flight of the footy, or puts his body in situations with no regard to his own body even now at his age is inspirational.

"He and Jess now have obviously started a family together with little Alaska and they live down south, but it just shows his level of dedication. He still hasn't missed a bit this season and is playing some of the best footy he's played from before he did his ACL.

"I know Jess will hate me saying this, but he's definitely capable of going on next year and for him it's just now if mentally and emotionally he can keep going. But the way he's playing is a credit to him and it's a huge milestone for him to equal Bill Walker who is one of the greatest players of all-time.

"At the same time, I think we all think that Notte is one of the greatest Swan Districts players and defenders that the WAFL has seen. It's just a pleasure to have played so much footy with him and I'm hoping there's a few more big games we can play together."

Becoming a star through hard work

It was missing out on the colts grand final team in 2014 when Turner realised that if he wanted to achieve anything that he hoped in football that he was going to have to do it through sheer hard work and dedication.

It's one thing to say that, but he has lived that to a remarkable degree and he did look at some rivals early on like Kyal Horsley and Aaron Black. He saw what they achieved because they were fitter than their opponents and broke their will through their work rate and desire.

That's what Turner wanted to do and the way that was possible was to put in the work on the running track, to constantly train harder than anybody else.

It would be fair to say it's worked.

"In my early stages of colts and even before that in development squads, I wasn't getting picked first and was getting cut, and was dropped for the colts grand final," Turner said.

"I think a lot of those heartaches and things that happened to me early in my career kind of helped me developed that mindset of wanting to get the best out of myself. Fast forward from 2013 and 2014 to now, I've just had a mindset of getting the most out of myself.

"I understand that especially early in my career and even now I can overtrain and sometimes I need to focus a bit more on recovery, but I'm not the most naturally talented, fasted or strongest player.

"But what I do have is knowing that for someone to be better than me they are going to have to work really damn hard because I pride myself on my ability to continue to work. I love that side of things and I love the grind," he added.

"It is a bit unusual but I love that feeling of when you're gassed and everyone is out on their feet, that you are able to find another gear or able to do another effort and can feel yourself breaking your opponent just purely on being able to cover the ground.

"It's a huge amount of satisfaction that gives me so I definitely know that I won't have the best of highlight reel for 150 games, but I'm extremely proud of how I've been able to get there."

Setting example of what is possible

In those early years after making his league debut in 2015, Turner's focus was just on keeping on working hard and doing what he needed to do to maintain his spot in the team.

However, once he has been able to cement himself in the team and become a star player, he's taken great pride in setting an example for any other emerging player doing it tough of what is possible if they just put in the work to give themselves a chance to succeed.

"Now that I'm a more senior player, I speak to a lot of the younger guys at our club at all the levels just telling them that if they stick to it and are consistent with their trianing and how hard they work that things can, and will, turn," Turner said.

"I'm an example of someone who no one thought I would even play reserves footy let alone league, but if you keep chipping away and no matter how you are feeling if you push yourself and sacrifice a lot to put the work in, then the rewards can eventually come your way.

"I do enjoy that side of it even if it gets tough at times, and I like to show people that you can go far in any part of your life if you are willing to put the work in and dedicate yourself to it. That's how I've apprached my footy and what I've been extremely proud to have been able to do."

Taking younger players under your wing

Turner has become the best runner in the WAFL through putting in the work, but he also wants to pass on what he's learned to help his teammates work on their own running power if they want to also dedicate themselves to it.

Whether that's actually doing running sessions together in the off-season or just creating programs for his teammates or offering advice, Turner is there for anyone that wants to call on him for some help or support.

"Early in your career you are just more worried about what you have to do to keep getting a game and proving people wrong that I belong, but then as the years have gone on it's become more about helping others," Turner said.

"The last few off-seasons I've created group chats about running with teammates, I've created running programs for some of the boys who want to do running in their own time. I take a lot of pride in that and really enjoy training, and trying to improve with my teammates.

"With the group we've got now, there's a lot of likeminded people like myself who want to get better and I don't care if you are No. 70 in the club and can't get a reserves game, if you work hard you have my utmost respect and I'm willing to give you as much time as you need.

"We have a lot of those boys at our club now so it's a great environment and I love being able to work with the younger boys, and some of the senior guys and they work with me on stuff I want to improve on too."

Sharing 150th game with special people

A milestone doesn't mean much without special people to share it with and in terms of those at Swan Districts Football Club, his coach Andrew Pruyn and all his teammates are among those that Turner can't wait to share Saturday's occasion with.

"Pruey was my first coach in 2015 in the senior program in the reserves so he has seen me grow and develop, and I have a very close relationship with him so to have him as the coach when I reach 150 games is something that's very special," he said.

"I'm close with all my teammates but someone like Aidan Clarke has been with me through a lot of the journey so it will be great to run out with him along with guys like Notte, Josh Cipro, Tony Stephens and Doc Blakely, and even my co-captain Erc who will still be there even if not able to play."

Outside of the football club, Turner can't wait to also have his parents there on Steel Blue Oval to celebrate the occasion along with close friend Brookelyn, and the person who is most excited of all, his younger brother Jyden.

"Mum and dad have been a huge part in my journey in supporting me so it will be great to have them," Turner said.

"A really close person in my life, Brookelyn, will be coming down and she's been along my side since 2018 and rides all the bumps that come my way. She's a great support.

"Then there is my little brother Jyden. He is 10 now and those days where I get up and am sore and don't feel like training, he's my No. 1 motivation. I try to show him the way and teach him what hard work can do, he's getting to the age where he's really understanding stuff.

"He's loving that Swans are winning at the moment and he's had to watch a lot of games of us losing in his life so far, but he will run out with me like he did for my 100th.

"He's already non-stop talking about how excited he is for Saturday to run out with the boys and hopefully sing the song with the boys at the end. To have all those people there and especially Jyden means a whole lot."