SA Footy

It is with great sadness to pass on that Mark Naley has passed away.

Mark had been being treated for a series of brain tumors and other related cancer issues for over a decade. This was compounded by a series of heart attacks.

Privileged to have played school and junior football with him and to be a member of our club together.

He did every thing he could for the club, play, coach, team runner, supporter, mentor and sponsor. Lost count of how many he gave a job to.

May I say just a bloody good bloke,

Just sad.
Was a fantastic player and top bloke by all reports
Thoughts go out to his family and the Panthers

Very sad to hear of his passing. Great player .

Champion player and fantastic bloke with some funny mannerisms. I knew he’d been doing it tough for a number of years, will miss catching up for a beer here and there as I’d been lucky enough to do. Thoughts with with his family and friends. Rest easy now Nails, you’ve fought long enough mate.

Mark finally succumbed after a long fight, and multiple operations to brain cancer.
I believe Mark was perhaps one of the 3 great South players to have worn the blue and white in its almost 150 year history. His list of onfield achievements are almost endless, although I know his biggest disappointment was not playing in a South Adelaide Premiership.
He was blue and white through and through and would always be seen at Noarlunga when his health permitted.
A few years ago after a home match luncheon I witnessed Naley, Darley, Deane and Peter and Geoff Motley engaged in conversation.... I thought to myself at the time..theres a fair bit of football nous and ability sitting there!
RIP Nails..loved your work!

A sad loss- always saved some of his best for the SOO games.

An SA champion. RIP

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.

Absolute champion footballer. One of my all time favourite SANFL players

The best South player I have seen. RIP Nails.

regards,

REB

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.

Such sad news. What an absolute legend. RIP Mark.

First Sneezer and now Nails. Both gone way too young.

The passing of Naley has made me think back to that time when we had so many champion rovers in this state. To make the state side as consistently as Naley did at a time when blokes like Hodgeman, McGuiness, Antrobus and Platten were running around gives a fair indication of just how good he was. Used to love the rovers. The tough little men who kept bouncing back up whenever they got clobbered, who ran all day and created and scored brilliant goals. Sadly now an endangered species in the game.

regards,

REB

When we talk of champion footballers many gain this title as somewhat poetic licence, then there are those that truely deserve the title, Mark Naley was a Champion footballer in ever true sense of the word. "Nails" joins his other Panther great John Schneebichler who passed away only last month. Both too young. Mark Naley will be greatly missed by many particularly at the South Adelaide Football Club.

RIP Mark Naley.

As REB said, a rover in the classic, true sense of the word, with great pace, ability to read the play, and goal sense, and now a sadly bygone role in (at least) top level footy. His 4 goal effort in the 1987 state of origin game versus Victoria is forever burned in my mind as one of the great state game performances which also was decisive in SA winning the match.

Runner up in the Magarey in his second and third season, plus a well-deserved win on his return in 1991, proves how good a player he was over an extended period of time. Plus his career at Carlton, as part of the 'foreign legion' that won them the 1987 VFL premiership. IIRC he broke into the side early on the season, but wasn't a regular from round one, got better as the season progressed and was instrumental in their run to the finals.

A quality footballer and on the couple of times I had a brief chat to him seemed like a down to earth nice bloke. Vale Nales.

For anyone that might be interested, Nails funeral service is this Wednesday at 2pm and is being covered online.

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