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Mark Naley
Personal information
Full name Mark Brendan Naley
Date of birth (1961-03-11)11 March 1961
Date of death 6 July 2020(2020-07-06) (aged 59)
Place of death Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Original team South Adelaide (SANFL)
Draft No. 4, 1981 interstate draft
Debut 1987, Carlton
Position(s) Rover, Half-forward
Career highlights
  • Premiership player Carlton Football Club 1987
  • All-Australian 1986, 1987
  • SANFL Magarey Medallist 1991
  • South Adelaide Best & Fairest 1984
  • 16 State of Origin games for South Australia 1981–89
  • Tassie Medallist 1987
  • Fos Williams Medallist 1991 SA v WA at Subiaco Oval
  • South Adelaide Reserves Premiership Player 1979
  • SANFL debut with South Adelaide in 1980
  • VFL debut with Carlton on 28 March 1987 v Hawthorn at Princes Park
  • South Adelaide Football Club Player Life Member
  • South Adelaide Football Club Hall of Fame member
  • South Australian Football Hall of Fame Inaugural Inductee 2002

Mark Brendan Naley (born March 11, 1961 – died July 6, 2020) was a famous Australian rules footballer. He played for the Carlton team in the VFL/AFL. He also played for South Adelaide in the SANFL.

Mark Naley's Heritage

Mark Naley grew up hearing that his grandfather was from Afghanistan. This was to explain why some family members had darker skin. Later, the family learned the truth. Mark's grandfather, Charles Gordon Naley, was actually an Aboriginal man.

Charles served in the Australian Army. He fought in a famous battle called Gallipoli. After being hurt, he was sent to England for treatment. There, Charles met and married his English nurse, Cecilia.

Mark Naley's Football Journey

Mark Naley started playing football at Sacred Heart College. He then joined the junior teams at the South Adelaide Football Club. In 1980, he played his first senior game for South Adelaide. That same year, he was part of the State Youth Team.

Achievements with South Australia

While playing for South Adelaide, Mark became an All-Australian player. This happened in both the 1986 and 1987 Interstate Carnivals. In 1987, he also won the Tassie Medal, a special award for the best player in the carnival. Mark proudly represented his home state, South Australia, many times from 1981 to 1989, and again in 1991 and 1992.

Playing for Carlton in the VFL

In 1987, Mark Naley moved from the SANFL in South Australia to the VFL in Victoria. He joined the Carlton team. He played regularly throughout the season. At the end of the year, Carlton won the premiership, making Mark a premiership player! He also received 12 votes for the Brownlow Medal, finishing in the top 10 players that year.

Return to South Adelaide

In 1990, Mark had some injuries, especially with his hamstrings. He only played 8 games that season. Because of this, he decided to return to his first club, South Adelaide. In 1991, he won the Magarey Medal, which is awarded to the best and fairest player in the SANFL. Mark Naley retired from football in 1993.

Football Hall of Fame

In 2002, Mark Naley was honored as one of the first players to be inducted into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame. This is a very special award for great footballers from South Australia.

Life After Football

After his football career, Mark Naley owned a company called Mark Naley Building Services. This company helped fit out shops and offices for businesses.

Mark Naley passed away on July 6, 2020, at the age of 59. He died from brain cancer.

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