In just his fourth season at the club, the 21-year-old took out the club’s highest individual honour ahead of All-Australian pair Josh Kennedy and Lance Franklin, making him the youngest to win the award since Michael O’Loughlin in 1998.
Speaking to SwansTV afterwards, Parker said he never thought he could finish ahead of the likes of Kennedy and Franklin this season.
“I didn’t expect this at all coming here tonight,” Parker said backstage on Friday night.
“It’s an absolute honour to receive this award.
“Bobby (Skilton) is such a legend of this club, and to have him here tonight, it’s such a privilege, and to be joined on stage by Joey (Josh Kennedy) and Buddy (Lance Franklin), they are amazing players in their own right.
“I’ve been playing some alright football over the few years that I’ve been here, but I just tried to play consistent this year and play my role each week, and at the end of the day, that’s all you need to do for our success.
“I’m just absolutely pumped and I’m a bit nervy at the moment and a bit shocked still, so I might struggle to find the words to say!”
Parker, whose highest finish ahead of Friday night’s count was sixth place in 2013, rocketed to the top of the table in 2014 with 758 votes ahead of Kennedy, who polled 709 votes, and Franklin, who registered 688 in his first season at the club.
Included in Parker’s tally was a 50-vote performance for his 33 possessions, six tackles and two goals against the West Coast Eagles in Perth in round 16, which was the first ‘perfect’ score he had achieve in his short career.
Parker said he was genuinely shocked to receive the ‘perfect 50’.
“I’ve never got that before, so I was pretty surprised,” he said.
“I can’t do anything but thank my team mates around me; they’ve been unbelievable this year and I wouldn’t be the player I am without those boys.
“I can’t wait for next year and I just know the club is going to pick up from where we left off this year and go one better.”
In addition to his Bob Skilton Medal, Parker also took out the Paul Kelly Players’ Player award, which is voted on each week by members of the playing group, a feat he felt extremely proud of.
“To be voted by your peers just shows that what you’re doing around the club is the right thing,” he said.
“I’m super rapt that what I’m doing is looked upon as being a ‘Blood’ and hopefully I can continue to do that in the future.”
With a first Club Champion honour under his belt, Parker said he intended to build on his game in 2015, highlighting his leadership skills as an area he hoped to develop.
“I want to take my leadership definitely to a new level,” he said.
“I want to keep going further with that, but obviously all other areas as well.
“It’s only my fourth season, so I’ll have another pre-season, do a bit more fitness and a bit more skill work, because you can always go to another level.
“Hopefully I can as an individual and hopefully we as a group can go to the next level as well.”
