Kayne Turner’s development has been a highlight of 2014 at Arden Street. He was eligible for the 2013 draft class by just six hours – he turned 18 on New Year’s Eve.
After being selected with pick 25 in the Rookie Draft, even recruiting manager Bryce Lewis assumed this year would be one of development for the teenager.
"Kayne Turner will be a development player. If he had been born six hours later, he wouldn't have been eligible for the draft. He's a slightly built lad, but he's unconditional in his attack on the ball.”
In a rare situation, Turner still had his high school studies to consider. With Year 12 at Maribyrnong College yet to be completed, his response to the situation demonstrated a level headed youngster very early on.
“This will obviously change my schooling arrangements because I’m only in Year 11, so I will have to finish my school in Melbourne and probably complete my VCE over two years. I want to finish Year 12 in case things don’t work out, so I have something to fall back on.”
In early December, Turner arrived at Arden Street for the first time. His first week at the club was spent with fellow rookie Joel Tippett and captain Andrew Swallow, recovering from his Achilles injury at the time.
"He's (Swallow) a great help and he's a really good leader. He's been with us all week, helping with our skills and always giving us advice on how we can get better which has been great,” Turner said.
However, while Turner was settling in for what was assumed to be a long road, Brad Scott perhaps saw something that the majority didn’t.
“The way he plays his footy and the type of attributes he’s (Turner) got as a genuine competitor,” Scott said.
“I would expect Kayne to come in and want to make an impression very early on.”
In January, Turner travelled down to Hobart for the first year player’s camp. Tearing through an obstacle course, he showed the kind of tenacity that would soon show on the football field.
Turner played his first VFL pre-season game in February. Immediately he stood out, kicking four goals and impressing with his tackling pressure.
“It was a little bit quicker than coming out of the TAC Cup,” Turner said after the game.
“I just wanted to help out the team any way I could and I was happy to help contribute on the scoreboard.”
Aligned with Werribee during the home and away VFL season, Turner went about his work as a small forward. The coaching staff took a long-term view with the rookie, resting him where possible and allowing his body to adapt to the demands of life at an AFL club.
However his improvement still caught the eye of the people he took the field with; in particular Jarred Moore.
"He’s going the right way about it,” Moore said in May.
“You wouldn’t know about his small frame sometimes when he tackles and the way he puts his body on the line. It’s more of a case of look out when ‘The Enforcer’ puts the extra 10 kilos on.”
While ‘The Enforcer’ sadly didn’t catch on as a nickname for Turner, his work rate and tackling continued to be a vital part of the Werribee forward line.
In recent weeks Turner moved up to a wing and relished the extra space. Last Sunday, senior development manager Gavin Brown stated, perhaps somewhat out of the blue, that the first year player was close to a debut.
“He (Turner) puts an enormous amount of pressure on the opposition with his tackling from behind. He's putting his name up there.”
Speaking on Wednesday on 3AW, Brent Harvey was excited by the potential Turner had.
"Young Kayne Turner he’s 18…this is my 19th year of football so he wasn’t even born in ’96 when I started playing, he’s still completing year 12 at school. It will be a great story if he gets a game because he’s pretty much come from nowhere and he’s a competitor, he has a really good crack."
As it turned out, Turner’s excellent work had been duly notified by the coaching staff and he will cap a remarkable rise by becoming Shinboner #985 on Saturday afternoon at StarTrack Oval.
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