The 21-year-old Parker, an emerging star, said: “When you get a taste of it, you just want more.”
“So that’s my goal from now on, to keep getting more of them.”
Shortly after the Swans claimed the 2012 AFL premiership, there were chaotic scenes in the packed MCG rooms as family, friends, fans and the media gathered to greet them.
But the coaches and the players were able to quietly retreat to a back room and close the doors, giving themselves a few brief moments together to enjoy what they had achieved.
"There were so many people in the room and we just shut the door and were just able to celebrate a bit by ourselves," Parker told the AFL Record this week.
"It was probably one of the best moments I remember,” he said.
And it's a moment the Victorian-born Parker - who was this week named in the Virgin Australia AFL All Australian squad – is desperate to experience again.
At the time, Parker was just 19 and in his second season with the Swans. Quickly displaying toughness beyond his years, he featured in 19 games in 2012, but leading into the back half of the season, his place in the side was still far from secure.
Now, with 79 games under his belt, he has developed into one of the Swans’ most damaging players, a goalkicking midfielder with determination, toughness and selflessness.
“He has been tremendous,” Swans coach John Longmire said.
“His consistency has been amazing for a young player. You just know what you’re going to get from him every time, which is extreme effort,” he said.
Read the full Luke Parker story in this weekend’s edition of the AFL Record, which is available at all venues
