Mark of the Year

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The Australian Football League celebrates the best mark of the season through the annual Mark of the Year competition. In 2007, this is officially known as the Toyota AFL Mark of the Year.

Alex Jesaulenko's famous mark over Graeme "Jerker" Jenkin in the 1970 Grand Final was the first to be recognised officially as the Mark of the Year; the medal awarded to the winner now bears his name. The AFL eventually recognised this famous mark as "The Mark Of the Century" in it's 100th year([[1996]).

During the 1970s and early '80s the award was decided by a panel of football experts on Channel 7's "World of Sport" program. During the 1980s/90s the winning mark was determined by selected football journalists and experts. The current selection process was first used in the 1998 season.

Contents 1 Selection Process 2 History of the Mark of the Year 3 Trivia 4 See also 5 External links 6 References

[edit] Selection Process

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.

At season's end the weekly winners are scaled down to a final three which football fans vote on to determine the overall winner. The system has been modified slightly in 2006 with experts now voting as well as the fans. These votes are then weighted to determine a weekly winner.

The overall winner is selected from the 25 weekly winners (twenty-two rounds and the first three weeks of the finals) by the AFL All Australian selection committee; the public is not given a say in the final outcome. The winner receives the Alex Jesaulenko Medal, a replica of the perpetual Mark of the Year Trophy, use of a Toyota Aurion for twelve months, and $10,000 for their grass roots football club. The winners are announced on Grand Final day.

The winner of this competition is usually the most spectacular high mark, known as a specky, but occasionally it is awarded to courageous, one handed or diving marks.

The 2007 winner was Michael Newton of the Melbourne Football Club for a double-launched long-hang time chest mark over Glenn Archer and Leigh Brown against the Kangaroos.

[edit] History of the Mark of the Year

AFL Mark of the Year Winners

Year	Winner	Team	Round, Ground	Note
2007	Michael Newton	Melbourne	Melbourne vs Kangaroos Telstra Dome	High leap over David Neitz and Kangaroos defenders Glenn Archer and Leigh Brown.[1] (Video:[1])
2006	Brad Ottens	Geelong	Geelong vs Sydney, round five. Telstra Stadium	A chest mark at hip height in a pack over Darren Jolly who cushioned Ottens' fall causing additional hangtime.[2] (Video:[2])
2005	Luke McPharlin	Fremantle	Fremantle vs West Coast, round three. Subiaco Oval	A chest mark at knee height on the shoulders of an opponent in a pack of players.[3][4] (Video"[3])
2004	Ashley Sampi	West Coast Eagles	West Coast vs Melbourne, round seven. Melbourne Cricket Ground	A chest mark over Paul Wheatley & Adem Yze, landing catlike on his feet. [5]
2003	Chris Tarrant	Collingwood	Collingwood vs Geelong, round 18. Telstra Dome	A towering chest mark over Cat defenders Matthew Scarlett and Jarred Rooke. (Video:[4])
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[6]. (Video:[5])
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 (Video:[6])
2000	Tony Modra	Fremantle	Fremantle vs Geelong, round one. Subiaco Oval	A chest mark over a pack in typical Tony Modra fashion.
1999	Matthew Lappin	Carlton	Carlton vs Essendon, round one. Melbourne Cricket Ground	A courageous overhead mark over the pack in the opening match of the season over Judd Lalich.
1998	Winston Abraham	North Melbourne	North Melbourne vs Port Adelaide. Manuka Oval	An overhead mark over Port's Brendon Lade.
1997	Tony Modra	Adelaide	Adelaide vs North Melbourne. 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.
1996	Ben Hart	Adelaide	Adelaide vs St. Kilda. Football Park	Intercepted Peter Everitt's inside 50 entry by jumping and lying on his back 3m into the air and grabbed a 1 handed screamer at the Northern End of Football Park against St Kilda.
1995	Shaun Smith	Melbourne	Brisbane vs Melbourne. Brisbane Cricket Ground	chest mark over teammate Garry Lyon, very high leap. "Mark of the Century". (Video:[7])
1994	Gary Ablett	Geelong	Collingwood vs Geelong. Melbourne Cricket Ground	A one-handed juggling mark over Magpie Gary Pert. Controversial, because it was likely that the mark wasn't held long enough to be paid. (Video:[8])
1993	Tony Modra	Adelaide	Adelaide vs North Melbourne. Football Park	Spectaculer overhead mark over Ian Fairley and Glenn Archer of North Melbourne. Adelaide came from behind to record a 2 point win.
1992	Nicky Winmar	St Kilda	West Coast vs St. Kilda	Subiaco Oval
1991	Brett Allison	North Melbourne	North Melbourne vs Collingwood. Melbourne Cricket Ground	overhead mark over Gavin Crosisca
1990	Michael Mitchell¹	Richmond	Richmond vs Fitzroy. Melbourne Cricket Ground	A juggled mark.
1989	Alastair Lynch	Fitzroy	Fitzroy vs North Melbourne. Melbourne Cricket Ground	juggling mark over the pack
1988	Stephen Silvagni	Carlton	Collingwood vs Carlton. Melbourne Cricket Ground	chest mark with long hangtime over Craig Starcevich
1987	Warwick Capper	Sydney		Used Chris Langford as a stepladder to take the ball while lying on his side
1986	Warwick Capper	Sydney
1985	Gary Ablett	Geelong	Geelong vs North Melbourne. Kardinia Park	overhead mark over a pack
1984	Denis Banks	Collingwood	Footscray vs Collingwood. Western Oval	courageous overhead mark running with the flight of the ball
1983	Ken Hunter	Carlton	Carlton vs ?. Princes Park	courageous overhead mark running into a pack with the flight of the ball
1982	Geoff Raines	Richmond	Leaped high above his Fitzroy opponent before falling forward with the ball firmly in his grasp
1981	Peter Bosustow¹	Carlton	Carlton vs Geelong. Princes Park	chestmark over the pack
1980	Graham Teasdale	South Melbourne
1979	Michael Roach	Richmond	Richmond vs Hawthorn. Melbourne Cricket Ground	chest mark over Kelvin Moore & Terry Moore
1978	Phil Baker	North Melbourne	High above hawks defenders Kelvin Moore and Ian Paton whos courageous efforts must not go unnoticed, in the 1978 Grand final
1977	Peter Knights	Hawthorn	Collingwood vs Hawthorn. Princes Park	chest mark over the pack
1976	Billy Picken	Collingwood	Collingwood vs St. Kilda. Victoria Park	overhead mark / screamer
1975	Peter Knights]]	Hawthorn Football Club	[[Hawthorn vs. Carlton	Juggling mark before Carlton player swung his leg, causing Knights to fall on to his chest.
1974	?	?
1973	Alan Atkinson	Collingwood Football Club	Atkinson leapt over a Hawthorn player, marked the ball, fell to the ground and tumbled
1972	?	?
1971	?	?
1970	Alex Jesaulenko	Carlton	Carlton vs Collingwood. Melbourne Cricket Ground	overhead mark over Graeme Jenkin (Video:[9])

¹ Player also won Goal of the Year for the same year

[edit] Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

Many of the best marks in the VFL/AFL were featured in a VHS/DVD named Miracle Marks.

The Victorian Football League also runs in conjunction, but 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, however they often rely on less comprehensive television footbage, and some amateur leagues rely on spectators submitting photos and amateur video recordings to the league.

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 it losing the Mark of the Year to Gary Moorcroft's round 14 mark.

[edit] See also

• AFL Goal of the Year

[edit] External links

• Mark of the Year.com
• AFL Mark of the Year Competition
• Victorian Football League Mark of the Year competition

[edit] References

v • d • e Awards in the Australian Football League AFL Rising Star award | AFLPA Awards | All-Australian Team | Brownlow Medal (Winners) | Coleman Medal Goal of the Year | Leigh Matthews Trophy | Mark of the Year | Michael Tuck Medal | Norm Smith Medal