Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Mark Tandy

Known as
Mark Tandy

Nickname
Napper

Born
3 September 1892

Died
19 May 1965 (aged 72)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 18y 252d
Last game: 33y 317d

Height and weight
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 70 kg

Senior clubs
South Melbourne

Jumper numbers
South Melbourne: 25, 27, 26, 2, 12

Recruited from
Yarraville (1911)

Mark Tandy

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
South MelbourneV/AFL1911-1915, 1917-1926207470.2357%3
Total1911-1915, 1917-1926207470.2357%3

AFL: 1,763rd player to appear, 584th most games played, 2,135th most goals kickedSouth Melbourne: 236th player to appear, 34th most games played, 162nd most goals kicked

Mark Tandy played his early football at Yarraville as a wingman, a role he also occupied for much of his time at South. His contribution to the club's 1918 Grand Final defeat of Collingwood was significant and decisive, as it was he who made the surging run down the wing culminating in a kick to the goal square which enabled Chris Laird to soccer the winning six-pointer.

While with South, Tandy found himself saddled with the inglorious nickname 'Napper', which apparently arose because of his alleged propensity for 'switching off' during games. At one stage in his career he roved to the famous Roy Cazaly-Fred Fleiter ruck combination, with Cazaly recalling that he often needed to 'gee' Tandy up in order to prevent him drifting out of the game. Nevertheless, Cazaly regarded Mark Tandy as the finest rover he ever saw.

In 1923, just as people were beginning to suggest that he ought to think of hanging up his boots, Tandy suddenly tapped into the richest vein of form of his career. He was chosen to represent the Big V that year, and again at the following year's Hobart carnival. All told, he made 13 appearances for the VFL, and had amassed a total of 207 league games by the time he retired in 1926.

In August 2003, Mark Tandy's reputation was enhanced when he was selected in Sydney's official 'Team of the 20th Century'.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Footy Publications

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.