Neil Kerley farewelled at emotional state funeral
The stories flowed, as did the tears. Footy royalty gathered on Monday to honour Neil Kerley and his extraordinary life. Watch the funeral here.
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It was a tribute fit for a “King’’.
Australian football royalty descended on Adelaide Oval on Monday to farewell a giant of the game, Neil Kerley.
Twenty-six days after Kerley died, aged 88, after suffering a medical episode while driving his car near his home at Walker Flat on the Murray River, the who’s who of Australian football were among 1000 family, friends and football fans who gave him the send-off he deserved.
While great mate Ken “KG’’ Cunningham wants Kerley to be honoured with a statue at Adelaide Oval, former Collingwood president and media identity Eddie McGuire used his eulogy at the state funeral to push for Kerley to be elevated to Australian football Hall of Fame legend status.
WATCH THE FUNERAL HERE:
McGuire called on the Crows to nominate Kerley for the honour and said “The Collingwood Football Club will second the motion’’.
“(Magpies) president Jeff Browne, who is here with us today, has said so,” McGuire said.
Among the mourners were SA Premier Peter Malinauskas, AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan, Glenelg great Peter Carey, dual Crows premiership coach and Brownlow and Magarey Medallist Malcolm Blight, South Adelaide premiership teammate Peter Darley, dual Magarey Medallist Andrew Jarman, 1961 West Adelaide premiership teammate Ken Eustice and Victorian hardman, five-times Hawthorn premiership midfielder and Brownlow Medallist Robert DiPierdomenico.
Kerley, who was born Donald Neil Kerley in the Riverland town of Barmera in 1934, played 265 SANFL games for West, South and Glenelg from 1952-69.
He coached 628 games, steering the Bloods to premierships in 1961 and 1983, famously taking the Panthers from bottom to top in 1964 and snapping a 39-year flag drought for the Tigers in 1973.
A parochial Croweater, he also represented SA with great distinction 32 times.
He was remembered as a “remarkable and wonderful man” and a “country boy at heart” who not only loved football, but also fishing, yabbying, hunting, outback adventuring, golf, red wine and playing bocce at his home on the Murray with family and friends.
His daughter, Gail, who fought back tears in her family tribute, recalled her childhood growing up with games always being played.
Gail finished her tribute to her father saying: “For now dad, cast your rod, pour yourself a red, turn on the footy and relax. You deserve it.’’
Inaugural Crows coach, dual Glenelg premiership mentor and Tigers legend Cornes said the word that epitomised Kerley was “leadership’’ during the golden era of the SANFL, which he said started in the 1960s.
“Leadership can be a hard quality to define because it comes in many forms but if there is one word that defines Neil Kerley it is leadership,’’ Cornes said.
“He was born to lead. His childhood was tough, he lost his dad at 11, left school at 14, left home at 16 and by the time he was 19 he was coaching men in Woomera.
“Neil’s influence extended right through that period. The names from that era are some of the greats of football – Williams, Oatey, Motley, Head, Halbert, Cahill, Ebert, Robran, Blight – and we can debate it, but Kerls was the most powerful, charismatic figure of that era.
“They called him the King. And there is only one King.”
Cornes described Kerley’s magnetic physical presence, his “never show weakness” and “never give in’’ mantra, and how he once continued to play despite breaking his jaw before halftime in a game for Glenelg, having his jaw held together with chewing gum.
Cornes also worked closely with Kerley in the early days of the Crows, where Kerley was the club’s first football manager.
“Our first game in Melbourne was against Essendon at Windy Hill,” Cornes recalled.
“We eventually got to the ground and it’s called Windy Hill for a reason, all the flags had been taken down and the windsock had been tied down as well – ‘Typical, cheating Victorian bastards’, (Kerley) said.”
1973 Glenelg premiership captain Peter Marker described Kerley as “unforgettable’’.
“He was ruggedly handsome and had a body cut out of granite,’’ Marker said.
Describing him as a “bush philosopher’’, Marker said he once asked Kerley who should play him in a movie and he replied: “Only one person could play me and that’s John Wayne’’.
Adelaide great and former captain Mark Ricciuto recounted a much-loved story about the day Kerley helped lure “Roo” to the Crows.
“Kerls came to Waikerie without me knowing and sat with my dad Murray, and watched me play for the Waikerie A-grade in 1991,” he said.
“He rocked up to Waikerie with an esky full of beer and parked next to my dad in the spot that he had saved. ‘Where’s the lad playing?,’ ‘In the forward pocket,’ Dad replied. ‘I didn’t bloody drive all the way up here to see the kid play in the forward pocket; get him on the ball’.
“Dad said, ‘How about we have a beer for every goal he kicks.’ ‘Good idea’.
“After I kicked my 10th, Kerls should not have driven back to Walker Flat that night.
“The next week, because of Kerls, I signed with West Adelaide and with the Crows.”
As Cornes said, there is only one ‘King’.
Neil Kerley’s mate ‘KG’ says footy legend deserves a statue outside Adelaide Oval
Neil Kerley’s great mate Ken “KG’’ Cunningham renewed calls for a statue of “The King’’ to be erected outside the famous ground.
Cunningham said Kerley deserved to be honoured with a statue outside Adelaide Oval, joining other SA football legends Barrie Robran, Russell Ebert, Malcolm Blight and Ken Farmer.
“For the impact he’s had on SA football, Kerls deserves a statue outside Adelaide Oval,’’ Cunningham said.
“He’s ‘The King’, so it has to happen, no question. It would be very, very fitting and he would be chuffed about it. I’m very confident it will happen.’’
He said he felt privileged to have spent so much time with the SA Football and Australian football Hall of Famer, describing him as a “larger-than-life character’’.
“As a player, coach, commentator, he was ‘The King’ and was appropriately nicknamed that,’’ said sports media icon Cunningham, a former state cricketer and SANFL field umpire.
“There was no bigger man in Australian footy in terms of influence.
“He was a wonderful man and a person that I went to when I needed advice. He had a profound effect on my life.’’
Kerley played 265 games with West Adelaide, South Adelaide and Glenelg from 1952-69 and coached 628 games, steering the Bloods to premierships in 1961 and 1983, famously taking the Panthers from bottom to top in 1964 and snapping a 39-year flag drought for the Tigers in 1973.
He represented SA 32 times.
Details: State funeral celebrating the life of Neil Kerley AM
When is it?
Fans will have the opportunity to celebrate the life of Neil ‘Knuckles’ Kerley AM on Monday, July 25 at 1pm.
Gates will open at 12.15pm.
Where is it?
Adelaide Oval, with guests asked to enter via the South Gate.
How can I attend?
Guests are asked to register their attendance via Eventbrite but you can watch our live stream above.
How can I donate?
In lieu of floral tributes, donations can be made to Legacy.
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