Footyinfo

Leo Turner

Geelong

AFL career

130 games30 goals

Debut
R7 1947 v STK31 May 1947
Most recent
PF 1954 v MEL18 Sept 1954

Stats

1954
GEE
19
0.2
1953
GEE
19
0.1
1952
GEE
17
0.3
1951
GEE
14
0.6
1950
GEE
15
0.1
1949
GEE
16
0.4
1948
GEE
17
0.1
1947
GEE
13
0.2
League
Season
MEL
MCG
PF
1.?
FSC
MCG
SF
0.?
CAR
KP
R18
0.?
COL
VP
R17
0.?
HAW
KP
R16
0.?
STK
JO
R15
0.?
ESS
KP
R14
0.?
FIT
KP
R12
0.?
SME
LO
R11
0.?
RCH
PR
R10
1.?
FSC
KP
R9
0.?
MEL
KP
R8
0.?
CAR
PP
R7
0.?
COL
KP
R6
0.?
HAW
GO
R5
1.?
STK
KP
R4
0.?
ESS
WH
R3
0.?
NTH
KP
R2
0.?
FIT
BS
R1
0.?

Profile

Born
15 May 1928
Died
17 Dec 1997 (aged 69y 216d)
Height
179 cm
Weight
76 kg

Teams

  • 130 games, 30 goals
    1947–1954

Honours

  • Premiership(2×) 1951, 1952

Family

Recruited from local side North Geelong, Leo Turner developed into one of the premier wingmen of his generation, becoming a driving force behind the Cats' golden era under Reg Hickey. Renowned for his blistering pace and evasive skills, Turner provided the outside run that fuelled Geelong's record-breaking 23-game winning streak and back-to-back premierships in 1951 and 1952. His dominance through the centre of the ground was acknowledged well beyond the Pivot, earning him 13 state guernseys for Victoria and a reputation as a fair but fierce competitor.

Despite establishing himself as a superstar of the competition, Turner's career was cut short at just 26 years of age following a severe knee injury sustained during the 1954 season. He ultimately played 130 games in the hoops, leaving a legacy that saw him named as an emergency in the Geelong Team of the Century. The Turner connection to the club continued decades later through his son, Michael, who emulated his father's playstyle on the wing and went on to captain the club in the 1980s.