Why ‘no fear’ Kayne Turner has become one of the most loved players at North Melbourne

NORTH Melbourne hard man Kayne Turner is one of Shinboner of the Century Glenn Archer’s first picked players. MARK ROBINSON finds out why.

Kayne Turner at the Arden St Oval. Picture: Alex Coppel

LET’S not talk about the drink-driving?

“I’m happy about that,’’ Kayne Turner said as he sat in a North Melbourne cafe.

Let’s not talk about you winning back respect from your teammates?

“I’m hoping I’ve got there now — halfway there, at least,’’ he said.

Let’s talk about footy, and your dad, your grandfather, your family, your mates and your home town of Kiewa, in northeast Victoria.

“I don’t mind talking about that,’’ Turner said.

North Melbourne’s Kayne Turner at the Arden St Oval this week. Picture: Alex Coppel

Most of all, let’s talk about footy.

“It’s a game I love,’’ he said. “I grew up around footy and, especially in the small community I came from, it keeps a lot of towns going.

“Even the entire league I was part of, footy probably plays the biggest role in all the communities.”

Turner, 21, loves everything about footy, and the game is starting to love Turner.

He’s the small bloke with a huge heart in the big city and, in his fourth year in the AFL, has cemented his place in the North Melbourne team.

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He’s played all 10 games this year as a small forward and, if you don’t know him, he’s the bloke Adelaide’s Charlie Cameron belted in the guts in Hobart.

“Charlie got me pretty nice,’’ Turner said.

Why did he do it?

“I gave him a nice bump in the back when he was standing on the line. We watched a fair bit of vision and it looked like a few of their forwards were coming down, and we were like, this is our end, so we tried to unsettle them.

Turner with Kangaroos teammate and housemate Sam Durdin. Picture: Alex Coppel

“The best part was it wasn’t just me. We had Nathan Hrovat doing it, Jed Anderson doing it … I was the unlucky one to get hit, I suppose. He got me flush, that one spot that winds you. He apologised straight afterwards. He said, ‘That’s not me. Sorry’. I said, ‘Don’t worry about it, mate’.’’

They are not fighting words, but they typify an attitude that is the discussion point about Turner.

A word often associated with him is “love”.

This week North Melbourne coach Brad Scott and defender Scott Thompson said they loved him, and Shinboner of the Century Glenn Archer can’t not love him.

“I love the way he plays,’’ Archer said. “I love his style. He puts his head over it, he has a crack, and if he’s not getting the ball he’s always influencing with his tackling and pressure. He’s just one of the blokes in my team, always first picked.

“The players you want to play with are the players you trust and, when I say that, (I mean) the players you know what you’re going to get from them each week. There are some players and you wonder, ‘What he’s going to serve up? Will he kick 10 or be useless?’ At least you can trust him.’’

Turner has played every game for North Melbourne this year. Picture: AAP

Turner arrived at North Melbourne as a rookie at the end of 2014. He was 17, in his school uniform, and weighed only 67kg (he’s 75kg now).

He was a kid in every respect.

Look at Brad Scott’s face next time he’s asked about Kayne Turner. A smile appears before he speaks, and then he gushes about his intent and attitude and toughness.

Turner is embarrassed by the affection.

“Obviously it’s good to have the backing of those two (Scott and Thompson), that’s a big bonus, and Arch is a legend of the club,’’ Turner said

“I’ve met him a few times, I love Arch, I get along with him pretty well, I think.’’

Turner can’t remember watching Archer play, but has seen video highlights.

“My grandma is a massive North fan and she used to always tell me about Arch,” Turner said.

“He probably wore the most famous number (No. 11), if not equal most with Boomer (Brent Harvey, No. 29), at our club.’’

Archer knows Turner’s family. He has met his Pa several times in Wodonga on his travels.

“His grandfather and mother raised him,” Archer said.

“He lost his father when was young, and the grandfather is a ripper. I’ve only met him two or three times, and each time I’ve met him he says, ‘Now Glenn, I haven’t got that long to go, and if I fall off the perch, make sure you look after Kayne’.’’

He’d wear the No. 11 with ease, but this year Turner told the club he would like to swap his No. 40 for No. 28.

Turner’s father, who died when Turner was three, was a Wodonga Demons legend and wore No. 28.

Turner’s brothers Callum and Brandon also wore No. 28 back home.

Former North Melbourne No. 28s include Byron Pickett, Andrew Demetriou and 1975 premiership defender Garry Farrant.

“Obviously, I never saw Demetriou play footy, but I’ve seen Byron’s highlights, knocking blokes out,’’ Turner said.

“It’s a family number. I spoke to my Pa when I first came down and he said, ‘If the chance ever came, would you take the number?’ and I said I’d definitely think about it.’’

He loves the number, and just not the number, but the jumper. What it means, what it stands for. He is a football club person, not just a footballer.

He’s always been around footy clubs. His father and uncles played, and he and his 30-odd cousins all lived within 30 minutes of each other.

Weekends were footy clubs and kicking a ball. The noise and smells and community feel of football clubs excite him.

There’s a period before every game when the significance of the North Melbourne jumper dawns on Turner. He dresses the same every week: shorts, then socks, boots and jumper last.

Turner has cemented his spot in North’s team. Picture: Michael Klein

“The jumper is always last,’’ he said.

All week the players are surrounded by media, fans, coaches, staff, family and friends. Game day is for the 22.

“Seeing everyone else in their jumpers, when you think about it, it’s what we get paid to do,” Turner said.

“When we’re all there in the rooms putting the jumper on, it’s just us, it’s a special feeling. You never know how long it’s going to last, that sort of significance.

“There’s better players than me who haven’t gotten to play the game — there were better players at my club back home — but for me, this is special wearing the Kangaroos jumper. I love it.

“As long as the club will have me, I’m more than happy to stay here, I love the place. The history is massive, the Shinboners, and I feel it this year more than ever.’’

The jumper doesn’t make Turner stand taller because he already possesses a fearlessness beyond his years.

“It’s sort of how I got raised to play,’’ he said.

Does he have any fear?

“I don’t think so. I always got told growing up, if you’re harder than the person you’re going at, they will come off second best. Pretty much everyone told me that.

“Especially playing at North. It’s our culture, blokes going hard at the footy. It’s your time to go and do what you have to do for the team, for the club, whatever it took to win. No backwards step.

“There’s no fear, not so much about contact because it’s a contact sport, things will happen. And it’s a footy field so there’s limits to what can really happen. That said, I’ve had my share of big knocks.’’

In Round 22, 2015, Turner cut across to mark. A Richmond opponent was on the railways tracks going at the ball, and Turner copped
an elbow in the face.

He remembers waking in the rooms. Staffers told him he was talking gibberish on the stretcher. His house mate and great friend Sam Durdin sometimes reminds him of the incident.

“Sam likes watching it and he shows me every now and then,” Turner said. “I didn’t protect myself when I landed. I was a bit of a dead fish.’’

That was his first concussion on the field. His first concussion off the field was at Kiewa.

At home growing up, he and the brothers were rough and tumble.

“Growing up with brothers it tends to happen a bit,’’ he said.

It’s easy to see why Turner is among the most loved players at North Melbourne. Picture: Getty Images

He has three brothers (as well as Callum and Brandon, there’s Jackson) and a sister, Elkie.

One day Brandon pushed Turner off the couch, and he landed on his head on the concrete floor and was knocked out.

“I don’t think Mum was too impressed with him at the time,’’ Turner said.

“I’ve got a younger sister and she probably copped from me what I copped from them. She was the one I had to beat up because I couldn’t beat up the others.’’

The on-field concussion forced him to miss the 2015 preliminary final against Richmond. But by then, anyway, Scott liked what he saw. Of his first 21 games, the coach played Turner in five finals, the first three as an 18-year-old.

There’s been only the one blemish, that drink-driving charge in 2016 that cost him his licence for 13 months.

Tonight against the Tigers will be Turner’s 32nd game.

His improvement this year has come with more ball and more goals, and the help of forwards coach Leigh Tudor.

“It’s more my running patterns,” Turner said.

“I used to average nine or 10 touches and I wanted to get it up to 15 or 16 and a couple of goals.’’

He’s kicked 14 this season playing his role.

And what is his role?

“I’d like to think it’s pressure, still,” he said.

“It’s one of the things you can control. The other team can’t take away your effort.’’

Originally published as Why ‘no fear’ Kayne Turner has become one of the most loved players at North Melbourne