On the back of stand out performances in the inaugural First Nations Tournament, Aaleya Turner has been voted as the Netball SA Yakanarna Most Valuable Player.
Netball Australia introduced the pilot tournament to provide accelerated and equitable opportunities for First Nations participants, featuring teams from every state and territory.
Turner played a key role in Yakanarna’s defensive end, captaining her side to a silver medal, having finished second in the tournament after going down to Queensland in the grand final.
Yakanarna’s Head Coach Vanessa Dempsey said Turner was voted as MVP for her outstanding performances across the tournament.
“In goal keeper, Aaleya consistently gained ball to build leads and in crucial moments took intercepts that contributed to team success,” Dempsey said.
“As coaches, we marvelled at Aaleya’s physical presence and defence craft throughout the tournament.”
After coming back from an Achillies injury, Turner has excelled on court in 2024 having also represented Australia in the inaugural Black Swans First Nations team.
Furthermore, she earned her spot in the Adelaide Thunderbirds Futures squad in the inaugural Super Netball Reserves.
To cap of Aaleya’s incredible year, she also made her Premier League debut with the Matrics Netball Club.
