South Adelaide and Carlton champion Mark ‘Nales’ Naley loses long battle with brain cancer
One of South Australian football’s most dynamic players, Mark Naley, has died aged 59 after a long battle with illness. Tributes have poured in for the former South Adelaide and Carlton star who was ‘hard as Nales’.
Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
He was one of South Australian football’s most electrifying rovers who was at his best on the big stage.
“He was a big-game player, a great player in the true sense of rovers as we used to know them – quick, cheeky, skilful and with great goal sense,’’ said Australian Football Hall of Famer Graham Cornes of former South Adelaide, Carlton and SA State of Origin star Mark Naley.
The lightning-quick 1991 Magarey Medallist was courageous on the field and also off it, bravely living up to the name of his former newspaper column “Hard as Nales’’.
Naley died on Monday, aged 59, after a long battle with brain cancer, which included five bouts of surgery.
“He was a great player at South and Carlton, but I particularly loved his contribution to state footy,’’ said Cornes, who coached the inspirational Naley at the Panthers and at state level.
“He was so good on the big stage of state football that even when he came back from Carlton (at age 30) and was playing in the SANFL we had no hesitation in selecting him in the State of Origin team because he was just so good in those games.
“He was a quirky sort of guy who had a great personality.
“He could be serious and intense at times, but he also loved a laugh and was much loved by his teammates.’’
An inaugural inductee into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2002, Naley played 236 games in two stints with SANFL club South from 1980-86 and 1991-93 and 65 for AFL club Carlton from 1987-90, kicking 305 goals.
He won a flag in his first season with the Blues alongside other SA greats Stephen Kernahan and Craig Bradley, starring in the No. 17 jumper he wore with great pride to finish equal 10th in the Brownlow Medal.
Upon his return to SA, Naley won the 1991 Magarey Medal – he was runner-up in 1981 and 1982 – and continued to star for the Croweaters in State football.
A dual All-Australian, he played 16 State-of-Origin matches, was a Tassie Medallist in 1987 and Fos Williams Medallist in 1991.
He is a South Hall of Fame and Greatest Ever Team member, best and fairest winner and life member.
Naley first experienced serious health problems when he blacked out while driving in 2016 and was diagnosed with a brain tumour, resulting in five surgeries in four years.
Despite his devastating health battle, Naley continued to remain upbeat, saying: “I just tried to enjoy life and the people around me more’’.
Panthers chief executive Neill Sharpe said Naley was a “revered figure’’ at South.
“Mark has left an enormous impact on the South Adelaide Football Club, where he captured a generation of fans in the 1980s and gave the South Adelaide faithful plenty to be excited about,’’ he said.
“He was such a humble champion of the game and maintained a great connection to the club following his playing days.
“Over the past few years while battling with his health he would still get to South games and happily sit on the outer or even have a kick of the footy with son Sam and grandson Finn.
“He is one of the greats of South Adelaide and will be sorely missed.”
Carlton premiership teammate David Rhys-Jones described Naley as “a gun rover’’.
“In state games and finals he just lifted,’’ Rhys-Jones said.
“He took off from a standing start and left them all in his wake.’’
Naley is survived by wife Cassie, children Sam and Hannah, stepdaughter Rose and grandson Finn.
FIVE THINGS: NEW STARS THRILL IN SANFL
It was another big weekend of SANFL action at Adelaide Oval – here are five key things we learned from Round 2.
CLOSE CLASHES GALORE
The 2020 SANFL season looms as one of the most even on record.
Starting three months later than scheduled because of the coronavirus pandemic and without AFL-affiliated clubs Adelaide and Port Adelaide because of an AFL requirement that State and national league players don’t mix, five of the eight games played in the opening two rounds have been decided by less than a kick.
In round one, South Adelaide edged the Eagles by six points and premier Glenelg beat Norwood by three.
In round two on the weekend, three of the four games played at Adelaide Oval also went down to the wire.
North Adelaide overcame a slow start to beat the Redlegs by two points, the Tigers – 45 points in front at the final change – held off a fast finishing Panthers outfit to win by five points and Central District fought back from 39 points behind in the opening term to salvage a draw against West Adelaide.
Remarkably, only 12 points have separated Glenelg and South in their past four contests.
The Bays five-point win on Sunday was preceded by a four-point loss to the Panthers in round 10 last season, a draw in round three seven weeks earlier and a three-point win in round 14, 2018, illustrating how evenly the teams match up against each other.
BORDERS PUT BASTINAC DEBUT ON HOLD
The much-anticipated Norwood debut of former AFL player Ryan Bastinac will have to be put on hold for at least one more game, possibly two, while the border restrictions are sorted out due to COVID-19 lockdowns.
Bastinac, 29, returned to Brisbane from Adelaide last week but a very short stop off at Sydney airport possibly breached the border restrictions – meaning Bastinac, who was named in Norwood’s league team on Saturday, can’t return to Adelaide to play until border restrictions are lifted.
Redlegs operations manager Mark Ross said the club and Bastinac should get more specific details about the restrictions early this week.
“It was one of those things and a bit of a misunderstanding about the border restrictions,’’ Ross said.
“We hope it will be settled soon and Ryan will be back playing with us, probably not this game but perhaps the week after.’’
SURJ IS THE MAN
It is only early days but North Adelaide coach Jacob Surjan appears to have his players believing they can win from any position at any time during a game.
“Surj’’ spoke about the long pre-season his players had, simulating many match scenarios, particularly when the side is down early in games.
Last Saturday North looked to be battling when it trailed Norwood by 20 points in the second quarter.
But there was no cause for concern as Surjan said the players kept to their structures and kept believing they could get back into the game.
“The players just knew what to do under pressure,’’ Surjan said. “There was no panic. We have practised these type of situations in the long pre-season.
“So far all of the hard work we have put in has paid off.’’
While a number of players stood up under the heat of battle, Campbell Combe’s extraordinary return of 29 disposals, which included 19 handballs, 14 tackles and six clearances, and former AFL player Billy Hartung’s 27 disposals caught the eye.
NEVER TOO OLD FOR YOUR DEBUT
Tristan Carcuro is proof that a 27-year-old is not necessarily too old to make a SANFL debut.
Seemingly content playing with Sacred Heart Old Collegians in the Adelaide Footy League, the young police officer was thrown an unexpected lifeline when new Eagles coach Jade Sheedy contacted Carcuro, originally from Streaky Bay, to invite him to pre-season training.
“I knew Sheeds through the amateurs when he coached Athelstone and I played for SHOC,’’ Carcuro said.
“He asked me to come out to training and it just went from there. I did a pre-season with South (Adelaide) the year before but couldn’t commit to the training at the time because of work.
“Things have worked out now and I really enjoyed playing a part and being in an elite competition.’’
Carcuro kicked two goals in the second half, finding his groove after an earlier shot for goal slid off the side of his boot.
“The Sturt players asked me if that was a shot for goal or a pass but it was definitely a shot. Thankfully I got a couple after that,’’ he said.
LANGE LOOKS THE REAL DEAL
Central District might have unearthed a star in 22-year-old utility Nick Lange.
The Nuriootpa product, who has battled injuries during his young career, starred in his league debut for the Bulldogs against Sturt in round one with 21 disposals, 14 marks and a goal.
After a slow start against West on Sunday he burst to life, kicking four goals in a devastating 19-minute period in the third and fourth quarters which nearly carried the Bulldogs to victory as they fought back from a 39-point first quarter deficit.
Starting on the wing and half-back, he was moved forward in the second half by new Dogs coach Jeff Andrews and nearly single-handedly dragged his side to a stunning comeback win.
“He would be the first to admit he didn’t have a great day early against West and we were trying to get him into the game, so we threw him forward to see what he could do,’’ Andrews said after the thrilling draw.
“H kicked a few goals, for his second game of league footy it’s exciting what the future holds for him.
“He’s got to keep working on his game to make sure he gets that level of consistency which isn’t quite there yet but he’s one that we will just keep working with because his upside is enormous.’’
ROUND 2 RESULTS
NORTH ADELAIDE 0.1 5.4 8.7 9.9 (63)
NORWOOD 2.5 4.8 6.11 8.13 (61)
BEST – North: C. Combe, Moore, Spina, Hartung, Schwarz, Allmond. Norwood: Richards, Hamilton, Nunn, McKenzie, Douglas, Shenton.
GOALS – North: Harvey, Le Bois 2, Moore, Ramsey, Szekely, Hender, W. Combe.
Norwood: Richards, Bampton, Grigg, Hamilton, Pinyon, Baulderstone, Richards, Panos.
INJURIES – Norwood: Gerloff (ankle), Pedro (ankle). North: Barns (concussion).
UMPIRES – M. Harris, C. Bowen, M. Scott.
CROWD – 3964 at Adelaide Oval
EAGLES 2.2 5.2 9.8 14.12 (96)
STURT 1.3 5.6 5.7 6.9 (45)
BEST – Eagles: Toumpas, Goldsworthy, Lonergan, Comitogianni, Foote, Rowe. Sturt: Evans, Voss, Kirkwood, Wundke, Fahey-Sparks.
GOALS – Eagles: N. Hayes, Rowe, Von Bertouch 3, Goldsworthy, Carcuro 2, Comitogianni.
Sturt: Sutcliffe 2, Slimming, Gore, Fahey-Sparks, Voss.
UMPIRES – T. Burke, A. Crosby, T. Bryce.
CROWD – 3964 at Adelaide Oval.
GLENELG 4.1 11.5 14.7 15.7 (97)
SOUTH 3.1 5.2 7.4 14.8 (92)
BEST – Glenelg: Partington, Snook, Motlop, Agnew, Bradley, Allen, Gregson. South: Sampson, Haines, Cross, Broadbent, Wilkinson, Heaslip.
GOALS – Glenelg: Partington 3, Gregson, McBean, Motlop, Reynolds 2, Agnew, Allen, Park, Stretch. South: Sampson 3, Fitt, Bogle, Overall, Wilkinson 2, Dumesny, Kappler, Whittlesea.
INJURIES – Glenelg: Nicholson (concussion).
UMPIRES – R. Hundertmark, S. Morgan, D. Sobieraj.
CROWD – 2810 at Adelaide Oval.
WEST 6.5 7.10 10.11 12.14 (86)
CENTRAL 1.2 4.4 9.6 13.8 (86)
BEST – West: Stevens, Boyle, Anderson, Keough, Schiller, Dunkin. Central: Boyd, T. Menzel, Lange, Habel, Durdin, Butcher.
GOALS – West: Keough 3, Hupfeld, Waite 2, Fairlie, Johnson, Kirk, May, Thilthorpe. Central: Lange 4, Butcher 3, Durdin, T. Menzel 2, Boyd, Olsson.
INJURIES – Central: Falkenberg (calf).
UMPIRES – H. Hughes, M. Schramm, M. Sboro.
CROWD – 2810 at Adelaide Oval.
Originally published as South Adelaide and Carlton champion Mark ‘Nales’ Naley loses long battle with brain cancer