Vale Mark Naley

SANFL is mourning the passing of SA Football Hall of Fame Inductee and Player Life Member Mark Naley.

An inaugural inductee into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2002, Mark was awarded SANFL Player Life Membership in 1993 after featuring in 236 games and booting 231 goals for South Adelaide.

Winner of the 1991 Magarey Medal, Mark forged a reputation as a fiercely competitive rover during his two stints with the Panthers – from 1980 to 1986 and 1991 to 1993.

In between, his penchant for wearing Navy Blue continued while playing in 65 VFL games and kicking 74 goals for Carlton from 1987 until 1990, including the 1987 premiership.

Mark’s passion for State Football was obvious in his 16 appearances for South Australia, where he was twice capped as an All-Australian in 1986 and 1987, won the Tassie Medal in 1987 and Fos Williams Medal in 1991 as the Croweaters’ best player.

With his beloved Panthers, Mark won the 1984 Knuckey Cup as best-and-fairest, was awarded Life Membership, inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame and named in South’s Greatest Team Ever.

Since diagnosis in 2016, Mark’s fought a courageous battle against brain cancer, displaying a tremendously positive spirit. He was 59.

SANFL expresses its deepest sympathies to Mark’s wife Cassie and family while honouring his outstanding contribution to the game in South Australia.