Mark Naley

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Mark Naley

| image =

| fullname = Mark Brendan Naley

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1961|3|11|df=yes}}

| birth_place =

| death_date = {{nowrap|{{Death date and age|2020|7|6|1961|3|11|df=yes}}}}

| death_place = Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

| originalteam = South Adelaide (SANFL)

| draftpick = No. 4, 1981 interstate draft

| debutdate = 1987

| debutteam = {{AFL Car}}

| height = 177 cm

| weight = 80 kg

| position = Rover, Half-forward[http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=35766 afl.com.au]{{dead link|date=September 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

| statsend = 1993

| years1 = 1980–1986, 1991–1993

| club1 = {{SANFL SthA}}

| games_goals1 = 236 (231)

| years2 = 1987–1990

| club2 = {{AFL Car}}

| games_goals2 = {{0}}65 {{0}}(74)

| games_goalstotal = 301 (305)

| careerhighlights = * 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 {{AFL Car}} on 28 March 1987 v {{AFL Haw}} 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 (11 March 1961 – 6 July 2020) was an Australian rules footballer who played with {{AFL Car}} in the VFL/AFL and South Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).

Heritage

Growing up, Naley had been told that his paternal grandfather was of Afghan descent. This was to explain away the fact that some family members had darker than usual complexions. Later it came to light that in fact, Naley's grandfather, Charles Gordon Naley, was Aboriginal. Charles had served with the Australian Army at Gallipoli. Wounded and shipped to England for treatment, Charles eventually married his English nurse, Cecilia.http://www.news.com.au/footy-legend-naleys-anzac-surprise/story-e6frea6u-1226040597557?from=public_rss {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}

Football career

Coming from Sacred Heart College, Naley joined the junior grades of South Adelaide, going on to make his league debut in 1980. He was a member of the State Youth Team that same year.{{cite web|url=http://www.safc.com.au/index.php?option%3Dcom_content%26view%3Darticle%26id%3D24%26Itemid%3D18 |title=Hall of Fame |access-date=2011-09-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111115220638/http://www.safc.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24&Itemid=18 |archive-date=15 November 2011 }} While at South Adelaide, he earned All Australian selection for his performances in the 1986 and 1987 Interstate Carnivals, the latter also saw him win the Tassie Medal. He represented his state from 1981 to 1989, and again in 1991 and 1992.{{Cite web|url=http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-index.php?page=Mark+Naley|title=Blueseum - History of the Carlton Football Club | Mark Naley}} He also played for Colonel Light Gardens Football Club."[http://clgfc.com.au/?page_id=67 Club History]", Colonel Light Gardens Football Club, accessed September 20, 2021.

Naley moved from the state based South Australian National Football League to Victorian based VFL when he joined {{AFL Car}} in 1987. He was a regular member of the side all season, finishing the year with a premiership. He also received 12 Brownlow Medal votes for the year, finishing equal 10th. In 1990 he suffered from hamstring problems and only managed 8 games, as a result he decided to return to his original club South Adelaide, winning the 1991 Magarey Medal before going on to retire in 1993.

In 2002, Naley was an inaugural inductee into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame.{{cite web |url=http://www.sanfl.com.au/hall_of_fame/mark_b_naley/ |title=SA FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: Mark B Naley |website=www.sanfl.com.au |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013135433/http://www.sanfl.com.au/hall_of_fame/mark_b_naley/ |archive-date=2010-10-13}}

Non-football career

Naley was the owner of Mark Naley Building Services, a company that provides shopfittings for offices and commercial businesses.{{cite web|url=http://www.marknaleybuildingservices.com.au/html/about.html |title=Mark Naley Building Services |access-date=2011-09-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424230918/http://www.marknaleybuildingservices.com.au/html/about.html |archive-date=24 April 2012 }}

He died from brain cancer on 6 July 2020, aged 59.[https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/vale-mark-naley-little-man-big-mark-20200706-p559ki.html Vale Mark Naley: little man, big mark]