Australian Football

Originally from Mangoplah Cookardinia United in New South Wales, Mark Conway burst onto the SANFL scene in 1995 with a series of impressive performances for Central District, and when he continued to perform well the following year it aroused the interest of Port Adelaide, who were set to commence in the AFL in 1997. An immense (197cm, 96kg) forward who was excellent overhead and a thumping kick, Mark Conway seemed tailor-made for a long and successful AFL career. However, that career ended up comprising just a single match in 1997, in which he had five disposals. His failure at AFL level left him free to concentrate on his SANFL career, however, and his five season stint with Centrals saw him play 81 games and score 116 goals, including a club list-topping tally of 57 in 1996. He was also a member of the Bulldogs’ losing grand final teams against Port Adelaide in 1995 and 1996.

The 2000 season saw Conway at Sturt where he rounded off his career in style. Initially used in his familiar role as a forward he was later deployed in the ruck to telling effect. His four season stint with the Double Blues saw him play 78 SANFL games and kick 35 goals, with the highlight coming in 2002 when he was a member of the Sturt team which comprehensively outplayed his former club, Centrals, in the grand final.

Author - John Devaney