A lingering memory of Grand Final Day 1987 relates to a frenetic moment of the final quarter, when the marauding Carlton on-baller Mark Naley somehow found a way through an army of brown and gold to sensationally slot a running goal at the Ponsford Stand end.

“Nails” took to the MCG on that sweltering 32-degree Melbourne afternoon wearing the long-sleeved No.17 in Navy Blue; his direct opposite Michael Tuck breaking with tradition and donning the Hawthorn No.17 sans sleeves.

At the premiership celebrations back at the Southern Cross that night, when the likes of David Glascott and Adrian Gleeson were upstairs recovering from their physical ordeals, Naley was amid the frivolity downstairs - belting out the Judy Garland hit ‘When You Wore a Tulip’ whilst clobbering the drums on the ballroom stage.

Fast forward almost 30 years, and Naley has again put the afterburners on, in dealing with this latest and very personal challenge.

A little more than a week ago, he underwent extensive surgery in Adelaide’s Calvary Wakefield Hospital to remove one of two tumours in his brain. 

“There were two tumours, one on top of the other, but they got the top one out easy. The other is smaller which has shrunk through steroids, so fingers crossed I’ll get the all-clear when the results come in on Friday,” Naley said from Adelaide.

Now 55, the 1987 Tassie Medallist and All-Australian has been discharged from hospital and since posted a graphic photo of his surgical work on Facebook. 

“I got 30 stitches in my head. I’ve got a constant headache, but it’s to be expected,” Naley said.

“Something like this knocks the s..t out of you. It’s given me a real scare.”

Mark Naley post-surgery. (Photo: Supplied)

Naley’s serious neurological problem emerged late last month when the 65-game former Carlton player and ’91 Magarey Medal-winner collapsed unconscious.

“I had a seizure, which started it,” Naley said. “At the time I was turning into a street, saw the street sign and that was it. The next thing I remember was waking up in hospital an hour and a half later.”

In the days since, Naley’s wife Cassie has provided regular updates via social media to a host of well-wishers – amongst them the 1982 Carlton premiership ruckman Warren Jones, together with Ian Aitken, Alex Marcou and the Norm Smith Medallist David Rhys-Jones, all of whom savoured premiership success with Naley almost 30 years ago.

It’s been hard yards for the hard-running South Australian football legend, who, by his own admission was lucky to make it through the night after having suffered a heart attack a year or two ago, and who mourned the passing of his father just a few months back. 

Now he faces an anxious wait in the lead-up to the next consultation, although he takes a glass half full approach. As he says: “hopefully the tumour will be benign and if it’s active it’ll mean radiation or tablets – but the doctor is pretty positive”.

Naley normally makes it back to be with his beloved Blues two or three times a year, either to take in a match or swing a club at the annual Spirit of Carlton Golf Day. Last March, he and daughter Hanna were photographed holding Dad’s famed guernsey by the No.17 locker at Ikon Park.

Mark Naley with daughter Hanna in front of his No.17 locker. (Photo: Carlton Media)

Clearly Naley’s passion for Carlton runs deep and it’s at times like this that he’s truly grateful for the love and support of the Carlton clan.

“It’s been terrific to see all the boys sending messages, and ‘Kernas’ (1987 Carlton Premiership Captain Stephen Kernahan) has been in touch.

“You look at the Carlton family also, and people like Gail Sutton of the Carlton South Australia Supporter Group have lent their support, which is really overwhelming. 

“When you realise how long you’ve been out of it, almost 30 years since the ’87 Grand Final, it’s comforting to realise that people still remember.”