Albury product Daniel Turner signs two-year extension with Melbourne

The key defender will be with last season's premiers until the end of 2024.

"Yeah, absolutely stoked," the 20-year-old suggested.

"I've been here a year and I've been loving absolutely every minute of it, I mean I wouldn't rather be anywhere else."

Turner was selected by the Demons in last year's mid-season rookie draft and he will remain on the rookie list for next year.

He will then be upgraded to the senior list for 2024.

"Since his arrival via the 2021 Mid-Season Rookie Draft, Daniel has thrown himself into the program and got his game to a level where he was selected in the senior side for the Queen's Birthday game," Melbourne list manager Tim Lamb told Melbourne Media.

"He has quickly earned the respect of his team-mates and coaches with his work ethic and desire to improve.

"We think he has a really bright future and we look forward to watching him develop over the coming years."

The 194cm Turner was the club's first debutant for the season, facing Collingwood in the annual June long weekend clash.

He impressed early, but was then subbed out due to concussion protocols and a facial fracture.

"It's fine, the first couple of weeks it hurt to eat a bit ... I dodged surgery, that was a huge result, I can keep training, just one more week I should be back in the swing of things,' he declared.

Prior to the injury, Turner had loved his debut.

"It was unreal, especially in a game as important as that one, it was crazy," he enthused.

"I was just trying to soak it all in, we didn't get the result we wanted, other than that I was just absolutely loving it, it was unreal, it was much quicker than VFL."

With the Demons certain to play finals, the former Murray Bushranger and Albury Tiger in the Ovens and Murray Football League says he's desperate to play more games at the elite level.

"Yeah, 100 per cent, it's such a rush, an adrenaline rush," he offered.

Turner admits he's changed enormously in his 12 months.

"Matured a lot, also the way my body is changing, my mindset towards the game as well," he said.

Turner's career mirrors that of fellow ex-Albury and Bushrangers' defender Paddy Parnell.

The pair went through school and played all their representative football together.

The duo was picked up in the same draft and debuted just nine days apart, with Parnell playing in Adelaide's drought-breaking win over West Coast on June 4.

Parnell also signed a two-year extension with Adelaide this week.

ALSO IN SPORT:

The Crows are away to Hawthorn on Sunday.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: