Former Sturt champ Peter Motley named in SA Football Half of Fame
Former Sturt and Carlton champion Peter Motley made a big impression in a short time before his career was cut tragically short. Now he has joined his father Geof as a member of the South Australian Football Hall of Fame.
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Peter Motley bursts into laughter as he pokes fun at his dad and Port Adelaide legend Geof across the dining room table.
He can’t help himself and notes his father may have his name on a players’ race at Adelaide Oval, but he has an entire oval at Unley named in his honour.
Geof Motley, a record-equalling nine-times premiership hero with the Magpies who is losing his sight, acknowledges the banter across the table with a loving grin.
It is said in nothing but jest. Peter’s humility is a constant, extremely humbled by the decision of the Sturt Football Club to rename Unley Oval after one of the club’s favourite sons and its No. 1 ticket holder.
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That is his nature. So disbelieving of his entry into the South Australian Football Hall Of Fame after receiving the letter of induction, he called SANFL chief executive Jake Parkinson to ask what was going on.
Peter still can’t believe he has joined his father in the exclusive club, he just does not believe he warrants his membership alongside the greats of the game.
He fidgets in his chair, seemingly uncomfortable talking about himself. But mention Russell Ebert and the conversation takes flight with enthusiasm as he reflects on his idols and childhood with a distinct Magpies flavour. The schnitzel, chips and gravy on Thursday nights at Alberton Oval while Geof ran team selection.
“I had Russell Ebert on my duffel coat, Peter Woite on a back pocket and Bruce Light on the other,” Peter proudly notes.
“I remember going to Adelaide Oval when I was 10 and Russell said ‘how you going young Mots’. Wow, I was in awe of him.
“He was my idol, him and Bucky Cunningham, Max James.”
Geof cuts into the chat to recall a story of Peter kicking the football alone in the back yard when a young lad.
“Peter was kicking the ball and I heard him say ‘Rick Davies takes a tremendous mark’,” Geof said. “I yelled out ‘who’. And he quickly responded: ‘But he plays like Peter Woite’.”
Peter’s extraordinary talents were obvious as far back as his early schooling at Belair Primary when named in the SAPSASA side. Then it was just down the road to Blackwood High where he rose to head prefect and captained the footy side which conquered Norwood to claim the state schools championship.
He lived in Sturt’s zone, but had the option to play for the Magpies because of his dad. His school mates wanted to stick together and play with the Double Blues.
Peter had a dilemma. While Geof wanted him to play with the Magpies, the decision belonged entirely to Peter. Geof was raising his son to make up his own mind.
The Double Blues invited Peter to join their colts side. There was absolutely no contact from Port Adelaide, no letter, no phone call. So the Double Blues it was.
Named an All-Australian after the Teal Cup under 17 carnival, Peter played just three senior colts games for the Double Blues before being promoted to the reserves. Again, there were only another three games before he made his league debut in 1982 against a powerful Glenelg side containing the likes of Stephen Kernahan and Peter Carey.
The following year, he was selected in the state side and named an All-Australian, at just 18. Two years later he was again an All-Australian. That was the same season Victoria had Gary Ablett in a forward pocket in the clash against SA, only to be taken from the ground after being subdued by Peter.
Those were the days of the Bay disco at the Brighton Road football club and Bojangles nightclub in the city. Peter laughs when he recalls his drink of choice was a dead lizard. He didn’t drink alcohol, so the raspberry and coke combination was his favourite, and he refused to be bypassed when his turn to shout in a round of drinks with his mates.
Football for Craig Bradley was the opposite of Peter, playing for Port Adelaide, yet being Sturt mad and a huge Rick Davies fan. Bradley and Peter were mates and often lunched together despite being opponents. They approached Geof to work his magic as a manager to get them to the VFL.
Bradley had a form four with Essendon, but once that lapsed he was free to go to the club of his choice, and they chose Carlton.
To fully advertise his commitment and love for the sport, Peter would phone then Carlton coach David Parkin every Sunday night to talk about his game for the Double Blues. In all his years of coaching, Parkin had never encountered such a relationship with a player.
Peter made 13 appearances for Carlton in 1986 and six the following year, before tragedy struck.
“I remember clearly the night of the accident when Braddles rang,” Geof said.
“He could not talk properly and the doctor came on the phone and said my son had been in a serious motor vehicle accident.
“Not far from where Peter lived, the tram line had a little mound either side. Peter’s car was stationary and a car on the other side of the road hit the mound, flew in the air and landed on Peter’s car.
“A couple of girls used to regularly watch Peter and Braddles train and they went to training to get their signatures on the night of the accident. The boys used to go home together but this time went in separate cars.
“When Peter was driving out of the ground, the girls got shy and didn’t stop him. If they had, the accident would not have happened.
“But there is nothing you can do, it is an act of God if you want to call it that. Life is full of those things.”
It was a difficult question to ask, but did Peter feel cheated being on the cusp of a special career?
“I don’t believe I was going to be a gun player, all I did was play football.”
The reply is typical Peter Motley. And without missing a beat, he proudly starts gushing out his dad’s achievements.
PETER MOTLEY HONOUR ROLL
PLAYING RECORD
92 games and 104 goals for Sturt 1982-1985
19 games and 4 goals for Carlton 1986-1987
MATCHES FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA
6 matches for South Australia
ACHIEVEMENTS
Fos Williams Medal 1985
All-Australian 1983, 1984, 1985
Best and Fairest for Sturt 1984, 1985
Member of Sturt Team of the Century 2000
SERVICE RECORD
Number 1 Ticket Holder for Sturt 2000-ongoing