Kerley, 88, of Walkers Flat in the Murraylands of South Australia, was the victim of a car crash on Wednesday, June 29.

Friends supplied a photograph of Kerley when he was captain-coach of the Whyalla combined team based on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula's Spencer Gulf in 1955 at the age of 21.

He had been bought down from near Woomera to coach North Whyalla.

Kerley was in the famous South Australian team that defeated Victoria at the MCG in 1963.

He played for Glenelg and coached that club, West Adelaide and others.

According to a friend, famous coach Tom Hafey had said, "a good long kick is better than a good short kick", and Kerley responded, "a bad long kick is better that a bad short kick".

Kerley was associated with the Adelaide Crows when they burst onto the national football scene.

He was renowned for a fiercely-competitive style of play, one that left him with his fingers pointing in various directions as a result of collisions.

He appeared regularly in the media in his heyday.

He was known as "Knuckles" or "King".

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Premier Peter Malinauskas led the tributes.

"South Australia has lost an icon and Australia has lost a football legend," he said.

He said Donald Neil Kerley AM had made a huge contribution to not only SA but also Australian football, on and off the field.

He had been a passionate and proud South Australian.

His character and courage made him a legend.

"He was a tough competitor on the field, an inspirational coach and a fantastic ambassador for football, especially for State of Origin," he said.

Kerley played 265 games with West Adelaide, South Adelaide and Glenelg and coached 628 games.

He represented South Australia 32 times with great distinction during his career.

He was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in 1997.

"To South Australians, he was a football legend - but to his family, he was so much more," Mr Malinauskas said.

"On behalf of the government I extend my sincere sympathies to Neil's family and friends."