Australian Football

Combining tremendous fairness - he was never once reported - with a fearlessly dynamic approach to the game, Geof¹ Motley might almost be regarded as the personification of the award he finally won after several near misses in 1964, the Magarey Medal. Jeff Pash’s eloquent tribute admirably evokes and encapsulates the Motley style:

He is fearless and resolute, but the resolution is jolly and good-humoured - no kicking in ruck. The shape of his flying play for the ball and of his recovery is brave and pleasing; he flies with abandon and bounces up smiling from some impossible rolls and spills.

Others certainly have more elegant techniques, and they, too, are admired in their place; but Motley is unique.²

Part of this uniqueness was a near universal popularity; it was difficult for even the most one-eyed of opposition supporters to dislike Motley, and when he won his aforementioned Magarey Medal in 1964, it was greeted with widespread and unadulterated acclaim. He was also the consummate team man, a fact evidenced in 1963 when he was the recipient of the Football Writers’, Commentators’ Award for the most valuable all round player to his club.

The only man to participate in all nine of Port Adelaide’s premiership teams between 1954 and 1965, Geof Motley played a total of 258 SANFL games for the Magpies between 1953 and 1966. His importance at Alberton was immense and unquestionable, but, paradoxically, in some respects he came across as a square peg in a round hole. For example, he was almost alone among Port Adelaide players of the Fos Williams era in regularly preferring the drop kick over the punt kick - and, perhaps even more to the point, in being permitted to do so with impunity. His off-field demeanour too was at odds with the Magpie ‘party line’ in that “he has become a ‘footballer’s footballer’ and has more friends among opposition players than most. He is courteous, frank and level-headed about football (on television he brims over with common sense). He is often the first to praise a talented opponent.”

Motley represented the state on 28 occasions, with the standard of his performances gradually improving over time. Captain-coach of Port’s 1959 flag-winning side, Motley later coached North Adelaide for three seasons after his retirement as a player. His son, Peter Motley, played for Sturt and Carlton.

Author - John Devaney