Port Adelaide’s Geof Motley remembered as ‘icon’ in emotional tribute
Football greats, including Craig Bradley and Nathan Buckley, have paid an emotional tribute to Port Adelaide great and “larger than life character” Geof Motley.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Football legend Geof Motley has been remembered as an “icon’’ of the Port Adelaide Football Club who led an “outstanding life’’.
A who’s who of Port Adelaide and the South Australian and Australian football fraternity flocked to Alberton Oval for the nine-time Magpies premiership player and 1964 Magarey Medallist’s funeral service on Monday, to pay an emotional tribute to one of the game’s all-time greats, who died on September 26, aged 88.
Emceed by seven-times Port premiership rover Tim Ginever, Motley – described as “Port Adelaide royalty’’ – was feted by a host of stars, including Magarey and Brownlow Medallist Nathan Buckley and dual Carlton premiership player Craig Bradley.
His son, former Sturt and Carlton ace Peter, and Jenny Williams, daughter of another Port legend, Fos Williams, were among those who delivered eulogies in front of a crowd of about 2000 people at the public memorial service.
Bradley, who played 89 games for Port and 375 for Carlton from 1981-2002, described Motley as “a strong presence, a larger than life character, almost Superman-like’’.
“And I can’t remember him ever losing a debate,’’ said Bradley, whose relationship with him started through his son Peter before Motley became his long-time player manager.
“He loved his time at Port and he loved winning, he was so proud of all those premierships, the teams he was part of, the players he played with, the best and fairests and Magarey Medal win. He would remind me often of all those premierships won.’’
Bradley said Motley “never side-stepped any issue in life and would instead tackle them head-on’’.
“That was his way and he would instil that into others,’’ Bradley said.
“There was no greater example of that than when Peter had his accident (in 1987).
“I will never forget calling ‘Mots’ that night and telling him of Pete’s accident and straight away his tone turned to one of action. It was side by side all the way.’’
Buckley, who started his illustrious career with Port and won the 1992 Magarey Medal, also had Motley as his manager during his 280-game AFL game career with Brisbane and Collingwood from 1993-2007.
He described him as “someone who played to win; whose loyalty, once earned, was unconditional’’.
“Every person he rubbed shoulders with was better for the experience,’’ Buckley said.
“What greater legacy can you leave in life?’’
Motley was one of SA football’s greatest achievers.
A member of the Australian Football and South Australian Football Hall of Fames, Motley won nine league premierships with Port, including six in a row from 1954-1959, along with 1962, 1963 and 1965.
He famously was captain-coach when the Magpies won their sixth consecutive flag in 1959, which Motley described as his “proudest moment’’.
Motley, who was never reported during his stellar, 250-game, 156-goal career, despite playing with a hard and physical edge, won four Port best and fairest awards (1958, 1959, 1963 and 1965) and represented South Australia 28 times.
He was a key member of the famed 1963 Croweaters team that beat Victoria at the MCG, with the VFL selectors rating him as SA’s best player
Port captain from 1959-1966, he was the only player to feature in all nine of the club’s premierships during its golden era from 1954-65.
Motley coached North Adelaide from 1967-69 and served the SANFL as chairman of selector and manager of state teams during the 1970s and 1980s.
He later became a successful player manager to some stars, including Buckley, Bradley, Warren Tredrea, Shaun and Peter Burgoyne and Shaun Rehn.
The Geof Motley Race at Adelaide Oval, which Port’s AFL team runs through at the venue, is named in his honour.
The Advertiser’s panel ranked Motley at No. 4 among Port’s greatest ever players for the club’s 150th anniversary in 2020 – behind four-times Magarey Medallist Russell Ebert, Bob Quinn and John Cahill.
Peter said his dad “loved his family’’ and was incredibly brave.
“He had no fear at all, to him pain was a disease of the mind,’’ he said.
Jenny Williams described Motley as “forthright, very determined to set the record straight and proud to be a part of the Port Adelaide Football Club’’.
“You will be remembered as a person who always, unconditionally, gave your all,’’ she said. “Wow, what a life well lived.’’
Port’s greatest AFL goalkicker and Australian and South Australian Football Hall of Famer Tredrea, dual Crows premiership ruckman Rehn and 1977 Magpies premiership player Max James were among the pallbearers.
The public funeral service at Alberton Oval was where Motley wanted to have his “last hoorah’’, according to his daughter, Wanita.
“He said he always wanted to have his last hoorah at Alberton Oval, growing up being at Alberton was just a wonderful experience for all of us kids,’’ she said.
“He really was amazing. He was obviously well respected and you’ve got to be proud of your father for that
Motley is survived by his three children, Wanita, Peter and Brett.
‘Deeply saddened’: Person dies at popular public pool
A person has died after being pulled from the water at a popular public pool in Adelaide’s south on Wednesday afternoon.
Truck driver’s lucky escape after rollover at base of busy freeway
A truck driver has escaped serious injury after rolling a single container truck at the base of the southeastern freeway on Wednesday afternoon, with an off-duty nurse rushing to help.