The Geelong footy community is mourning the loss of local legend Michael Turner, who passed away on Monday following a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
Turner died peacefully at Lorne Community Hospital, after turning 70-years-old earlier this month.
He was a renowned talent manager spending 25 years at the Geelong Falcons, helping mould the program into one of the most highly-regarded in the league.
The Falcons paid tribute to their long-term Talent Manager with a Facebook post on Monday night.
“Put simply, the Geelong Falcons aren’t the program it is today without Mick,” the post read.
“In his 25 years as Talent Manager, he guided so many careers on and off the field and has had a monumental impact on football in the South West of Victoria over many decades.
“MT9’s legacy will live long in the walls of Highton Reserve and in all the faces who have come through the club.”
Mick joined the Dare to Hope charity following his cancer diagnosis in early 2023, which was launched by late Hawthorn legend Paul Dear’s family after his battle with pancreatic cancer.
This led to the creation of the ‘Dare to Hope Game’ between the Falcons and Sandringham Dragons in the Coates Talent League.
Turner spoke about his battle with K rock Football ahead of the Easter Monday clash between Geelong and the Hawks this year.
“The survival rate at this stage believe it or not is 10% of people survive five years,” he said.
“With breast cancer it’s 94% survive five years and with prostate cancer I think it’s 96% last five years.
“So compared to that 10% is a very poor ratio, so we’re looking for better outcomes.
“In my perspective, I said to all the medical people I spoke to, I had no fear of death.
“That didn’t really worry me.
“What worried me was losing my quality of life.
“You don’t want to end up lying on the couch for five years, that didn’t really interest me.
“I just said to them, any decision you make, make it in the best interest of my quality of life.
The former Geelong skipper played 245 games for the club, leading the side for three seasons between 1984 to 1986.
Mick’s father Leo also played over 100 games for the Cats, with both named on opposite wings in Geelong’s Team of the Century.
Turner joked he was still waiting on the club to immortalise him and his father at Kardinia Park.
“Obviously I follow Geelong, I played for them and my father played for them,” he said.
“I’m just waiting for (Cats CEO) Steven Hocking to name the wing out at Geelong the Leo and Michael Turner wing.”
Mick is survived by his wife Karen, his sons Levi and Che, their partners Brooke and Grace and his grandchildren Frankie, Ziggy, Raff and Arlo.
