The annual Mark of the Year competition (Officially known as the Toyota AFL Mark of the Year) is a sporting contest run by the Australian Football League (AFL) that celebrates the season's best clean ball-catch, resulting from the ball being kicked by another player. This type of ball-catch is known colloquially in Australia as a mark. Applicable only to players within the AFL, the contest only applies to marks taken during official AFL-season matches. Run within the paradigm of Australian Rules Football, a mark is used to describe the action in which a player cleanly catches a kicked ball that has travelled more than 15 metres (49 ft) without the ball hitting the ground. The competition, which is sponsored by Toyota, selects the winner via a public vote. Originally known as the VFL Mark of the Year, it was renamed to the AFL Mark of the Year in 1990, following the Victorian Football League's (VFL) merger with the Australian Football League. The iconic VFL footballer, Alex Jesaulenko, claimed the competition's first title as recognition for a spectacular mark during the 1970 VFL Grand Final – a mark that was subsequently recognised as The Mark of the Century. Several other Australian rules football leagues followed with their own versions of the Mark of the Year competition. Thirty-two players have won the competition; of those, five have won multiple times and six are still active in the AFL. The competition is run in conjunction with the Goal of the Year competition, which recognizes the best particular goal kicked during an AFL season. Two players have managed to win back-back titles, winning both the Mark of the Year and Goal of the Year competitions within a single season: Michael Mitchell and Peter Bosustow.
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Known officially as the Toyota AFL Mark of the Year,[1][2] the competition is run according to Australian Rules Football. It is only open to players belonging to the AFL (Australian Football's highest league).[3][4] Those successfully chosen to receive the title win an assortment of awards, including a $5,000 prize for their grassroots club, the use of a Toyota Kluger for 12 months, the title itself, and the Alex Jesaulenko medal.[2][5][6][3]
The Victorian Football League also runs a similar competition in conjunction with the AFL Mark of the year; however, the winners are only selected from the few games that are televised each year on ABC2. Many other amateur Australian rules football leagues also run an equivalent competition, but they often rely on less comprehensive television footage; some amateur leagues rely on spectators who submit photos and amateur video recordings to the league[7] or to television shows such as the AFL Footy Show.[8][9]
Chris Tarrant's mark in Round 11, 2001 has been used as the basis of the silhouette for the Mark of the Year logo, despite its losing the Mark of the Year to Gary Moorcroft's round 14 mark.[2] Many of the best marks in the VFL/AFL were featured in a VHS/DVD named Miracle Marks.[10]
The competition was initiated following Alex Jesaulenko's mark over Graeme "Jerker" Jenkin in the 1970 (Victorian Football Leauge) Grand Final and later recognized officially as the Mark of the Year; the medal awarded to the winner now bears his name.[3][4][11] In 1996 the AFL officially recognised this mark as "The Mark of the Century" at its 100th year Jubilee.[12] During the 1970s and early 1980s, the award was decided by a panel of football experts on Network Seven's "World of Sport" program and during the 1980s and 1990s, the winning mark was determined by selected football journalists and experts.[3] With minor modifications, the current selection process was first used in the 1998 season.[7][13]
In 1990, the competition (originally known as the VFL Mark of the Year) was renamed to the AFL Mark of the Year, following the incipience of the Australian Football league.[3][14][15] The incumbent winner for the 2008 AFL season is Matthew Lloyd of the Essendon Football Club, for a towering pack mark against the Melbourne Football Club in round 18.[16]
After each round of the regular AFL season, the "mark of the week" nominations are determined by a panel of football experts. The general public can then vote for a weekly winner.[1][6] Following the conclusion of the season, the weekly winners are scaled down to a final three which football fans vote on, to determine the overall winner.[6] The title is given to a single mark, which is selected from the 25 weekly winners—which include twenty-two rounds of the standard AFL season and the first three weeks of the final playoffs—by the AFL All Australian selection committee; the public is not given an opinion in the final outcome. The winners are announced on Grand Final day.[6]
AFL Mark of the Year Winners
| Key |
|---|
| Player is still active in AFL * |
| Player also won Goal of the year for the same year # |
| Player has won Mark of the Year multiple times ^ |
| Year | Winner | Team | Match, Round, Ground | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Alex Jesaulenko^ | Carlton | Carlton vs Collingwood, Grand Final day, Melbourne Cricket Ground | Spectacular mark over Graeme Jenkin during Grand Final day.[5][11][17] |
| 1971 | Alex Ruscuklic | Fitzroy | Fitzroy vs Carlton, Round 10, Princes Park | "High Flyer" by centre-half forward Alex Ruscuklic.[3] |
| 1972 | Peter Knights^ | Hawthorn | Hawthorn vs Collingwood, Round 17, Glenferrie Oval | Halfback Peter Knights throws a screamer against Collingwood.[3] |
| 1973 | Alex Jesaulenko^ | Victoria | Victoria vs Western Australia, Interstate match, Melbourne Cricket Ground | Jesaulenko takes "Mark of the Season" and kicks five goals in Victoria's "demolition" of WA (158 v 70).[3] |
| 1974 | Billy Picken^ | Collingwood | Collingwood vs Richmond, Round 9, Melbourne Cricket Ground | Billy Picken takes a screamer during the John Greening comeback game. |
| 1975 | Peter Knights^ | Hawthorn | Hawthorn vs Carlton, Round 17, Princes Park | Juggling mark before Carlton player swung his leg, causing Knights to fall on to his chest.[3] |
| 1976 | Billy Picken^ | Collingwood | Collingwood vs St. Kilda, Round 16, Victoria Park | Overhead mark by Billy Picken against St. Kilda. |
| 1977 | Peter Knights^ | Hawthorn | Collingwood vs Hawthorn, Round 9, Princes Park | Chest mark over the pack. |
| 1978 | Phil Baker | North Melbourne | Hawthorn vs North Melbourne, Grand Final day, Melbourne Cricket Ground | High mark above Hawks defenders Kelvin Moore and Ian Paton in the 1978 Grand final.[18] |
| 1979 | Michael Roach | Richmond | Richmond vs Hawthorn, Round 5, Melbourne Cricket Ground | Chest mark over Kelvin Moore and Terry Moore. |
| 1980 | Peter Daicos | Collingwood | Collingwood vs Geelong, Preliminary Final, Waverley Park[19] | Peter Daicos takes a "Marvellous Mark" in the preliminary final.[3] |
| 1981 | Peter Bosustow# | Carlton | Carlton vs Geelong, Round 18, Princes Park | Chest mark over the pack. |
| 1982 | Geoff Raines | Richmond | Richmond vs Fitzroy, Round 2, Waverley park | Leaped high above his Fitzroy opponent before falling forward with the ball firmly in his grasp.[3][20] |
| 1983 | Ken Hunter | Carlton | Carlton vs North Melbourne, Round 21, Princes Park | Overhead mark running into a pack. |
| 1984 | Denis Banks | Collingwood | Footscray vs Collingwood, Round 10, Western Oval | Mark running with the flight of the ball. |
| 1985 | Gary Ablett^ | Geelong | Geelong vs North Melbourne, Round 5, Kardinia Park | Specky over the pack. |
| 1986 | Gary Buckenara | Hawthorn | Hawthorn vs Carlton, Round 1, Waverley Park[21] | A towering "high flyer" over two Carlton players.[3] |
| 1987 | Warwick Capper | Sydney | Sydney vs Hawthorn, Round 7, Sydney Cricket Ground[22] | Used Chris Langford as a stepladder to take the ball while lying on his side.[23] |
| 1988 | Stephen Silvagni | Carlton | Collingwood vs Carlton, Round 14, Melbourne Cricket Ground | Chest mark with long hangtime over Craig Starcevich. |
| 1989 | Alastair Lynch | Fitzroy | Fitzroy vs North Melbourne, Round 16, Melbourne Cricket Ground | Juggling mark over the pack. |
| 1990 | Michael Mitchell# | Richmond | Richmond vs Fitzroy, Round 5, Melbourne Cricket Ground | A juggled mark against his Fitzroy opponent. |
| 1991 | Brett Allison | North Melbourne | North Melbourne vs Collingwood, Round 11, Melbourne Cricket Ground | Specky over Gavin Crosisca. |
| 1992 | Nicky Winmar | St Kilda | West Coast vs St. Kilda, Round 3, Subiaco Oval | A "breathtaking" mark at Subiaco Oval.[24] |
| 1993 | Tony Modra^ | Adelaide | Adelaide vs North Melbourne, Round 8, Football Park | Spectacular mark over Ian Fairley and Glenn Archer of North Melbourne. Adelaide came from behind to record a 2 point win.[25] |
| 1994 | Gary Ablett^ | Geelong | Collingwood vs Geelong, Round 7, Melbourne Cricket Ground | A one-handed juggling mark over Magpie Gary Pert. Considered controversial, because it was likely that the mark wasn't held long enough to be paid.[26] |
| 1995 | Shaun Smith | Melbourne | Brisbane vs Melbourne, Round 22, Brisbane Cricket Ground | "High Leap" over teammate Garry Lyon. |
| 1996 | Ben Hart | Adelaide | Adelaide vs St. Kilda, Round 8, Football Park | Intercepted Peter Everitt's inside 50 entry by jumping and lying on his back 3m into the air, at the Northern End of Football Park against St Kilda.[27] |
| 1997 | Tony Modra^ | Adelaide | Adelaide vs North Melbourne, Round 17, Football Park | Against North Melbourne, Modra rode high on Mick Martyn's shoulders facing towards the crowd with the ball coming in from behind. Turned in midair and grabbed the ball.[25] |
| 1998 | Winston Abraham | North Melbourne | North Melbourne vs Port Adelaide, Round 18, Manuka Oval | An overhead mark over Port's Brendon Lade.[28] |
| 1999 | Matthew Lappin | Carlton | Carlton vs Essendon, Round 1, Melbourne Cricket Ground | A courageous overhead mark over the pack in the opening match of the season over Judd Lalich.[28] |
| 2000 | Tony Modra | Fremantle | Fremantle vs Geelong, Round 1, Subiaco Oval | From within a pack, Tony Modra rose on the back of his opponent to take a spectacular, from the kick by team mate Ashley Prescott.[28] |
| 2001 | Gary Moorcroft | Essendon | Essendon vs Western Bulldogs, Round 14, Telstra Dome | An overhead mark at full stretch after leaping onto and then springing a further metre into the air off Brad Johnson.[29] |
| 2002 | Jonathan Brown* | Brisbane | Hawthorn vs Brisbane, Round 17, Melbourne Cricket Ground | A courageous chest mark running with the flight of the ball, launching into the oncoming Jade Rawlings.[30] |
| 2003 | Chris Tarrant* | Collingwood | Collingwood vs Geelong, Round 18, Telstra Dome | A towering chest mark over Cat defenders Matthew Scarlett and Max Rooke.[31] |
| 2004 | Ashley Sampi | West Coast Eagles | West Coast vs Melbourne, Round 7, Melbourne Cricket Ground | Rose high with a chest mark over Paul Wheatley and Adem Yze, landing catlike on his feet.[32] |
| 2005 | Luke McPharlin* | Fremantle | Fremantle vs West Coast, Round 21, Subiaco Oval | A chest mark at knee height on the shoulders of an opponent in a pack of players. |
| 2006 | Brad Ottens* | Geelong | Geelong vs Sydney, Round 21, Telstra Stadium | A high flying mark in a pack over Darren Jolly who cushioned Ottens' fall causing additional 'hang-time'.[33] |
| 2007 | Michael Newton* | Melbourne | Melbourne vs Kangaroos, Round 17, Telstra Dome | High leap in Melbourne's forward fifty over David Neitz and Kangaroos defenders Glenn Archer and Leigh Brown.[34] |
| 2008 | Matthew Lloyd* | Essendon | Essendon vs Melbourne, Round 18, Melbourne Cricket Ground | A screamer, over a pack of five players late in the third quarter.[16][35] |
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