Jamie Turner

Jamie Turner arrived at Victoria Park with a famous surname, recruited from Montmorency as the son of 1958 premiership hero Ken Turner. While the father-son connection provided a romantic narrative, Turner’s early career was defined by grit rather than entitlement. After a promising debut season in 1984, he was struck down by a debilitating back injury that wiped out almost his entire 1985 campaign. He returned to establish himself not as a star, but as the ultimate utility—a "worker’s player" who could plug holes on the wing, half-back, or in the centre. His kicking was initially erratic enough to earn the nickname "Apple" (as in "apple turnover"), a flaw later corrected when he began wearing contact lenses during the 1990 season.

Turner’s legacy is inextricably linked to the cessation of the "Collywobbles" in 1990. That year, he played every single game, though his place in the side was often a source of personal anxiety; he famously vomited before the Second Semi-Final fearing he would be dropped. He held his spot, starting on the interchange bench in the Grand Final against Essendon. When the siren sounded, Jamie and Ken Turner became the only father-son duo in Collingwood history to both play in premiership sides for the club. He played three more seasons, retiring in 1993 as a beloved, blue-collar figure who had successfully emulated his father’s greatest achievement.