Geof Motley

Geof Motley
OAM
Geof Motley; OAM
Personal information
Full name	Geofrey Peter Motley
Date of birth	3 January 1935
Place of birth	Port Adelaide, South Australia
Date of death	26 September 2023 (aged 88)
Height	180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	85 kg (187 lb)
Playing career1
Years	Club
1953–1966	Port Adelaide
Representative team honours
Years	Team
1954–1965	South Australia
Coaching career
Years	Club
1959–1961	Port Adelaide
1967–1969	North Adelaide
Total
	1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1966.
Career highlights
	Club Magarey Medal (1964); 9× Port Adelaide premiership player (1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965); 4× Port Adelaide best and fairest (1958, 1959, 1963, 1965); Port Adelaide captain (1959-1966); Representative 28 matches for South Australia; Coaching Port Adelaide premiership coach (1959); Honours Port Adelaide's greatest team (right half-back); Australian Football Hall of Fame (2002); South Australian Football Hall of Fame (2008); Life Member - Port Adelaide Football Club; Life Member - SANFL;
	Source: AustralianFootball.com

Geofrey Peter Motley OAM^[2] (3 January 1935 – 26 September 2023) was an Australian rules footballer and coach who played for South Australian National Football League (SANFL) side Port Adelaide. Motley was born near Alberton Oval, the home ground of the Port Adelaide Football Club, and grew up supporting Port Adelaide.^[3]

Motley was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 1992 Australia Day Honours "for service to sport administration and Australian rules football."^[2]

Football career

Port Adelaide (1954–1966)

For eight seasons from 1959 to 1966, Motley captained the then dominating team of the SANFL, Port Adelaide, including a stint as captain-coach from 1959 to 1961. He was the only man to appear in all nine of the Magpies' premiership teams between 1954 and 1965. Motley played a total of 258 games for Port between 1953 and 1966 and also represented South Australia on 28 occasions.^[4]

During his career, Motley was never dropped from the team, nor was he reported. In this era, not being reported for foul play was a rarity for a player as having a certain amount of mongrel or thuggery was seen as commonplace.^[3]

Motley was named Port Adelaide's best and fairest player in 1958, 1959, 1963, and 1965; and won the Magarey Medal in 1964.^[5]

North Adelaide coach (1967–1969)

Following his playing retirement, Motley went on to coach North Adelaide from 1967 to 1969, taking the club to third, third, and fifth place respectively. The Roosters won the minor premiership in 1967 but were unable to compete successfully against Sturt and Port Adelaide in the major round. Under Motley's tutelage, Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend Barrie Robran debuted and won his first Magarey Medal.

Honours

After retiring, Motley was bestowed with several honours including life membership of Port Adelaide and the SANFL, and membership of the South Australian Football Hall of Fame and the Australian Football Hall of Fame. In 2001, Motley was named on a half-back flank in Port Adelaide's 'Greatest Team of All Time'.^[3]

Personal life

Motley was married to fellow sportsperson Gaynor Motley (née Flanagan), who represented Australia in basketball (competing in the first world championships in Rio de Janeiro) and netball, as well as South Australia in softball.^[6] The pair were married until Gaynor's death in 1999.^[7]

Their son, Peter, played for rival SANFL club Sturt and Victorian Football League (VFL) club Carlton, while Motley's second cousin was Port Adelaide captain Warren Tredrea.