After a couple of years of going under the alias of Danny, the time has come to reveal the mystery author.
It won’t come as a surprise to many that the man behind the keyboard is none other than Luke Turner.
Turner, who has worked with AFL NSW/ACT full-time for the past four and a half years finishes up with the organisation on Friday to become an Employment Consultant.
The 26 year-old originally joined AFL Sydney as the Football Operations Coordinator alongside Garry Burkinshaw and has continued to pen a variety of articles including the Previews, Season Reviews and Predictions, in addition to the Diatribe.
Turner also got a sense for the AFL Sydney community on a week-to-week basis as a senior umpire up until the start of this season where he officiated a Division One Grand Final and was also selected in the Premier Division Finals Series.
We asked Luke how he wanted to reveal himself to the public and said “the floor is yours”. Well what a large floor that has turned out to be and in true LT style, he decided “Luke” would provide an exclusive interview to “Danny”... go figure???
Grab a cup of tea, your lunch and pillow (it’s that long you may need them all) and sit back for one last piece of dribble from the master...
Danny: So Luke, its a pleasure to finally meet you. Where did the inspiration for Danny come from?
Luke: Good question there Danny. Matty Graham can claim this one when I was always one who was keen to keep up with the latest news and gossip not just in football but other parts of life as well. He ironically referred to me as Danny Weidler (Channel 9 Rugby League reporter) and it was just one of those nicknames that stuck and obviously turned into an alias.
Editors note: Unlike Danny Weidler who has his finger on the pulse, Luke Turner was generally 2-3 weeks behind all the big news
Danny: So Luke, how did the Diatribe come about?
Luke: The strength of football clubs is that they are a community and I felt there was a void at a League and Association level there. In a football operations role, we are dealing with a lot of issues so I guess we saw it as an opportunity in two ways- to promote some fun for everyone and target a new market who wouldn’t normally read the website, and to I guess have a bit of a laugh and some fun ourselves.
Editors note: Luke generally has so much time on his hands unlike the rest of the Football Operations team and this was another way for him to be able to spend more time on Facebook under the guise of ‘work’
Danny: So LT, is there a passion for writing?
Luke: I enjoy writing and analysing the game at an overall level. The Diatribe isn’t everyone’s cup of tea nor do I always get the predictions and previews right but that’s media. I might mention a player is in form then find out he has gone overseas for a month (as in very recently)! I’ll never necessarily be a coach and don’t have the physique to play the game, so its a good way to get involved and contribute to the game.
Editors note: He isn’t wrong about the physique. Just ask the crowds who witnessed LT ‘sunbaking’ topless by the pool underneath the Sydney Football Stadium regularly during his regular 2 hour lunch breaks
Danny: There must be some funny stories over the years
Luke: Oh there have been some real personalities amongst them Danny. The UTS, Western Suburbs and Pennant Hills boys have been standouts for some of the material they have produced. The two Tom’s- Angel and Edmonds have been a couple of my favourite subjects and I must thank the contributors for some of their stitch-ups (who shall remain anonymous). There were some great stories that followed Taylor Williamson whilst he was up here, and then you have those stories about Cleo Bachelor of the Year and people pulling out of games to go on dates- the game has changed.
Editors note: As many of you would have found out, LT was so desperate for stories, any wildly concocted story sent through would get into the column. Taylor’s troubled dinner date story was probably the pick.
Danny: Did you get found out?
Luke: I think I’ve done fairly well to keep it secret. Chris Yard and Andrew McLellan from Pennant Hills found me out on Phelan Medal Night last year and a few people who know me well enough has suspected my work at various stages.
Editors note: There are plenty of people who have known who it was but have played the game themselves to keep Luke’s dream alive
Danny: Any highlights from your time at AFL Sydney?
Luke: The representative trips come to mind when I was acting as Manager for the Development sides. On the two trips (Newcastle and Wagga), the players and coaching staff were fantastic despite being forced to do multiple shoeys. To almost get over Riverina was a major achievement for a side that had a large proportion of Division One players. That and when St Ignatius Riverview won the Under 18 Division One Grand Final a few years ago against East Coast, to see 300 kids jump the fence and fill Blacktown was an amazing atmosphere.
Editors note: Surely the day he tripped over several times while umpiring (I loosely use this word) a Division One Grand Final should rate highly? Or how good he looked in the fluro green runners gear in Wagga with the Development team?
Danny: So finally, Luke, what does the future hold?
Luke: There is a bit of change in the game at an admin and global level. Matt Graham has been a great support generally, alongside Scott Burkinshaw, and obviously will be replaced at the start of next month. The game continues to evolve and hopefully talent continues to come through the junior programs which I have played a tiny part in recently (as Sydney Juniors Football Administrator and Independent Schools Operations Manager) so we can get the next Dane Rampe drafted from AFL Sydney. I’ll continue to keep posted to the happenings of the league and may help out commentating during the finals.
Editors note: Thank the Lord this ‘interview is finally’ over!
Final editors note: On a serious note - Luke, LT, Danny, Bubbles, Victa, grass cutter, ump, however you may know him, has been a vital part of the AFL Sydney team for a number of years now and we thank him for all the assistance and entertainment he has provided over this time. Luke has played a key role in better engaging the AFL Sydney Football community in the last couple of years which has undoubtedly occurred which is something he should be quite proud of.
We wish LT well and we are certain to see him around the grounds in future.
Last Modified on 14/08/2015 12:51
