A state funeral to celebrate the life of Mr Neil 'Knuckles' Kerley took place on Monday 25 July 2022 at Adelaide Oval.
Hosted by the Government of South Australia, the funeral celebrated Mr Kerley’s life, extraordinary football career, and his dedication to South Australia as a player, coach, selector and commentator.
The state funeral was also live-streamed for members of the public who were unable to attend in person.
In lieu of floral tributes, donations were made to Legacy.
Thank you to all who paid their respects.
About Mr Neil Kerley
Debuting in 1957 for West Adelaide, Mr Kerley left his indelible mark at 5 SANFL clubs over 5 decades, winning two premierships (1961, West Adelaide and 1964, South Adelaide) as captain-coach, and two as coach (1973, Glenelg and 1983, West Adelaide).
Across a 276-game playing career and a 3-decade long coaching career, Mr Kerley’s extensive list of achievements included 32 games for South Australia (6 as captain), coaching South Australia and Origin teams, winning 5 best-and-fairest awards (West Adelaide (4), Glenelg (1)), becoming All-Australian vice-captain (1961), and being inducted into the Australian, South Australian and West Adelaide halls of fame.
Mr Kerley was also instrumental in developing the Adelaide Football Club, serving as their first football manager in 1990 and 1991, as well as being a selector for the All-Australian team.
In 2007, Mr Kerley was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to Australian football in South Australia as a player and coach, and to the community as a supporter of several charitable organisations.