View source for Mark Naley

{{Short description|Australian rules footballer (1961–2020)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{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 Football Club|South Adelaide]] ([[South Australian National Football League|SANFL]])
| draftpick = No. 4, [[1981 VFL draft|1981 interstate draft]]<!--do not capitalise draft or interstate draft per 1981 AFL draft article title and the Wikipedia manual of style-->
| debutdate = [[1987 VFL season|1987]]
| debutteam = {{AFL Car}}
| height = 177&nbsp;cm
| weight = 80&nbsp;kg
| position = [[Follower (Australian rules football)|Rover]], [[Half-forward line|Half-forward]]<ref>[http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=35766 afl.com.au]{{dead link|date=September 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
| statsend = 1993
| years1 = 1980&ndash;1986, 1991&ndash;1993
| club1 = {{SANFL SthA}} 
| games_goals1 = 236 (231)
| years2 = 1987&ndash;1990
| club2 = {{AFL Car}} 
| games_goals2 = {{0}}65 {{0}}(74)
| games_goalstotal = 301 (305)
| careerhighlights = * Premiership player Carlton Football Club [[1987 VFL Grand Final|1987]]
* [[All-Australian]] 1986, 1987
* [[South Australian National Football League|SANFL]] [[Magarey Medal]]list 1991
* [[South Adelaide Football Club|South Adelaide]] Best & Fairest 1984
* 16 [[Interstate matches in Australian rules football#State of origin|State of Origin]] games for [[South Australia Australian rules football team|South Australia]] 1981–89
* [[Tassie Medal]]list 1987
* [[Fos Williams Medal]]list 1991 [[South Australia Australian rules football team|SA]] v [[Western Australia Australian rules football team|WA]] at [[Subiaco Oval]]
* [[South Adelaide Football Club|South Adelaide]] Reserves Premiership Player 1979
* [[South Australian National Football League|SANFL]] debut with [[South Adelaide Football Club|South Adelaide]] in 1980
*[[Australian Football League|VFL]] debut with {{AFL Car}} on 28 March 1987 v {{AFL Haw}} at [[Princes Park (stadium)|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 [[Australian Football League|VFL/AFL]] and [[South Adelaide Football Club|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.<ref>http://www.news.com.au/footy-legend-naleys-anzac-surprise/story-e6frea6u-1226040597557?from=public_rss {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref>

==Football career==
Coming from Sacred Heart College, Naley joined the junior grades of [[South Adelaide Football Club|South Adelaide]], going on to make his league debut in 1980. He was a member of the State Youth Team that same year.<ref>{{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 }}</ref> While at South Adelaide, he earned All Australian selection for his performances in the [[1986 Australian Football Championships|1986]] and [[1987 Australian Football Championships|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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-index.php?page=Mark+Naley|title=Blueseum - History of the Carlton Football Club &#124; Mark Naley}}</ref> He also played for [[Colonel Light Gardens Football Club]].<ref>"[http://clgfc.com.au/?page_id=67 Club History]", ''Colonel Light Gardens Football Club'', accessed September 20, 2021.</ref>

Naley moved from the state based South Australian National Football League to [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]n based [[Australian Football League|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]].<ref>{{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}} </ref>

==Non-football career==

Naley was the owner of Mark Naley Building Services, a company that provides shopfittings for offices and commercial businesses.<ref>{{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 }}</ref>

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

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{AFL Tables | M/Mark_Naley }}

{{Magarey Medal winners}}
{{Tassie Medal winners}}
{{Fos Williams Medal winners}}
{{1987 Carlton premiership players}}
{{Knuckey Cup}}
{{1986 All-Australian team}}
{{1987 All-Australian team}}

{{navboxes
| title = Mark Naley in South Australian State of Origin teams
| titlestyle = background:red; color:gold; border: solid blue 2px;
| list1 ={{1983 South Australia State of Origin players}}
{{1984 South Australia State of Origin players}}
{{1986 South Australia State of Origin players}}
{{1988 South Australia State of Origin players}}
{{1989 South Australia State of Origin players}}
{{1992 South Australia State of Origin players}}
}}
{{1981 VFL interstate draft}}
{{1991 AFL mid-season draft}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Naley, Mark}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:Indigenous Australian players of Australian rules football]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from South Australia]]
[[Category:Carlton Football Club players]]
[[Category:Carlton Football Club premiership players]]
[[Category:South Adelaide Football Club players]]
[[Category:South Australian State of Origin players]]
[[Category:Magarey Medal winners]]
[[Category:All-Australians (1953–1988)]]
[[Category:South Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Australia international rules football team players]]
[[Category:Deaths from brain cancer in Australia]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in South Australia]]
[[Category:VFL/AFL premiership players]]