What Is the AFL Goal of the Year?
In a game defined by chaos, creativity and courage, Goal of the Year stands as Australian football’s purest celebration of instinct and imagination. Unlike premierships or Brownlow votes, this award isn’t about season-long consistency — it’s about one moment that stops the crowd, lifts teammates, and becomes part of football folklore.
The award is officially known as the Phil Manassa Medal, presented annually to the player who kicks the most outstanding goal during the AFL season. It runs in tandem with Mark of the Year, forming a tradition that recognises football’s most spectacular individual acts.
While officially sanctioned from 2001, the spirit of Goal of the Year predates formal recognition — and like so much of footy culture, it was born organically through unforgettable moments that demanded to be remembered.
The Origins: From Jesaulenko to Manassa
The concept of celebrating football’s greatest goals and marks emerged in 1970, when media outlets informally honoured Alex Jesaulenko for his famous Grand Final mark. That moment proved fans didn’t just want results — they wanted artistry recognised.
But it was 1977 that truly defined Goal of the Year forever.
Phil Manassa – 1977 Grand Final Replay
Manassa’s blistering run from half-back in the Grand Final replay against North Melbourne wasn’t just a goal — it was theatre. The Collingwood winger took off, bounced, ignored options, and drilled it on the run. That goal became the benchmark, and when the AFL formalised the award decades later, it rightly bore his name.
To this day, every winner is measured — fairly or not — against Manassa’s standard.
How Goal of the Year Is Judged
While criteria have evolved slightly, the core principles remain:
- Difficulty and execution
- Creativity and originality
- Match context and pressure
- Crowd and emotional impact
Boundary-line snaps, coast-to-coast runs, bananas on the non-preferred foot — these aren’t just goals, they’re statements.
Unlike statistical awards, Goal of the Year rewards flair, something uniquely Australian football has never been afraid to celebrate.
The Modern Era: Eddie Betts and the Art of the Impossible
No discussion of Goal of the Year is complete without Eddie Betts, the undisputed master of the impossible angle.
Eddie Betts – Four-Time Winner (2006, 2015, 2016, 2019)
Betts redefined what was considered kickable. From pockets that once produced hopeful snaps, he delivered repeatable brilliance. His goals weren’t flukes — they were rehearsed, calculated, and devastating.
What separates Betts from others is not just the quantity, but the consistency of difficulty. Multiple wins from the same pocket, often under identical pressure, speak to a footballer who understood geometry, momentum, and confidence like few before him.
He remains the only player to win Goal of the Year in consecutive seasons, and his four wins may never be matched.
What Makes a Great Goal Truly Great?
From an expert perspective, the greatest goals usually share three traits:
- Decision-making under pressure — choosing instinct over safety
- Technical execution — balance, foot skills, and body control
- Emotional timing — goals that change momentum or belief
Some are worth six points. Others are worth decades of memory.
Goal of the year winners
| Year | Winner | Team | Description |
| 2025 | Noah Anderson | Gold Coast SUNS | Anderson’s 2025 highlight came with a defining final-quarter major against Collingwood. Collecting the ball straight from a centre bounce, he linked with a teammate and, on the run from ~40 m out, snapped a perfectly balanced goal that helped secure the SUNS’ advantage and won the season’s top accolade. |
| 2024 | Harley Reid | West Coast Eagles | Reid’s 2024 winner was a stunning centre-bounce goal against Melbourne. He took possession immediately after the ball was tapped out, burst clear through the centre, took multiple bounces and slotted truly from just inside 50 — a pure running goal that electrified fans |
| 2023 | Will Ashcroft | Brisbane Lions | In just his debut season, Lions star Will Ashcroft claimed the 2023 Goal of the Year with a breathtaking mid-air snap from a tight angle against Fremantle. Rising high in the pocket, he controlled the ball in flight and steered it through under heavy pressure — a goal that combined skill, poise and flair. |
| 2022 | Sam Draper | Essendon Bombers | Draper’s 2022 award-winning strike was a remarkable long-range snap that started deep in defence. After cleanly gathering the ball, he weaved through congestion and launched a powerful 50-metre goal on the run, showcasing his athleticism and precision. |
| 2021 | Caleb Serong | Fremantle Dockers | Serong’s 2021 Goal of the Year came from an incredible effort under pressure — collecting the ball with composure and accuracy before threading it through from the boundary against the Brisbane Lions. His agility and poise in traffic made it an early favourite from the home-and-away season. |
| 2020 | Josh Daicos | Collingwood | Round 10 goal against Sydney at the Gabba. Daicos was on the boundary line under pressure, handballs it in front of himself and the Sydney defender, then picking it up again and kicking a right foot banana 30m out on the boundary. Just like his old man use to. |
| 2019 | Eddie Betts | Adelaide | Round 5 goal against Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval. In his 300th game, Betts kicked a classic left-footed banana from about 30m out on the boundary line of the same left hand pocket as his 2015 and 2016 Goal of the Year winners. |
| 2018 | Jack Higgins | Richmond | Round 19 goal against Collingwood at the MCG, Higgins kicked it backwards |
| 2017 | Daniel Rioli | Richmond | Round 3 goal against West Coast at the MCG, Rioli successfully kept the ball in bounds up against the boundary line and kicked a right foot banana on the run 35m out from goal. |
| 2016 | Eddie Betts | Adelaide | Round 10 goal against Greater Western Sydney at Adelaide Oval. Betts successfully trapped and gathered the ball on the boundary line 50m out from goal after a spoiled marking contest. Betts then evades two GWS players before kicking a goal with a right foot snap from 35m out. |
| 2015 | Eddie Betts | Adelaide | Round 9 goal against Fremantle at Adelaide Oval. Kicked a goal inside out with his left foot from the left hand pocket from 50m out. |
| 2014 | Matt White | Port Adelaide | Round 17 goal against Richmond at Etihad Stadium. White gathered the ball at half-back, ran full tilt up the wing with three bounces, burning off a chasing Steven Morris in the process, before unloading from 50m to goal. |
| 2013 | Lance Franklin | Hawthorn | Round 3 goal against Collingwood at the MCG. Received a handball from Ben Stratton in the centre square, jumped over a tackled Stratton and went on to kick the goal from 75 metres out. |
| 2012 | Chris Yarran | Carlton | Round 1 goal against Richmond at the MCG. Received a handball from Chris Judd between left wing and half-forward flank. Ran along the boundary past Dustin Martin, Ivan Maric and Steven Morris, breaking tackles from Maric and Morris before slotting the game-changing goal from 40 metres out. |
| 2011 | Hayden Ballantyne | Fremantle | Round 2 goal against Geelong at Patersons Stadium. Ballantyne ran through the centre of the ground before kicking the ball inside 50. He received a follow-up handball from Matthew Pavlich and slotted the goal from 40 metres out in a team-lifting effort. |
| 2010 | Lance Franklin | Hawthorn | Round 13 goal against Essendon at the MCG, where Franklin outsprinted Cale Hooker from the wing to boot truly from around 50m out from near the left boundary line (Franklin is left footed making angle more acute)[11] |
| 2009 | Cyril Rioli | Hawthorn | In the round seven match against Essendon, Rioli managed to evade numerous defenders to weave his way into a position to handball to teammate Chance Bateman, before receiving the ball back and kicking a goal from 40 metres out.[1] |
| 2008 | Leon Davis | Collingwood | In the final home-and-away Friday night match, Leon Davis tackled Fremantle player Des Headlend in Fremantle’s defensive 50, knocked the ball out of the scruffle, as he picked the ball up he broke a tackle and then ran 10 metres before kicking an amazing drop punt from 50 m out on the boundary. Dennis Cometti adding the words “of the season” after Bruce McAvaney saying “goal”. |
| 2007 | Matthew Lloyd | Essendon | Matthew Lloyd back-heeled the goal through a pack of players from 5 metres out. |
| 2006 | Eddie Betts | Carlton | Smothered Tarkyn Lockyer’s handball, gathered the ball and, with two opposition players surrounding him, kicked a freakish banana from the boundary and kicked truly.[16] |
| 2005 | Chris Judd | West Coast Eagles | Burst from a boundary throw in on the half forward flank, spun out of a tackle and kicked truly from about 40 metres out at Subiaco oval.[18] |
| 2004 | Daniel Wells | Kangaroos | Described as “Jackie Chan in mid-air”, Wells leapt into the air, grabbed the ball out of the ruck and scissor-kicked in one motion in the goalsquare at Subiaco giving North Melbourne a narrow victory over Fremantle.[20] |
| 2003 | Daniel Kerr | West Coast Eagles | Received the football at half-back, before taking 5 bounces and finishing from 48 m out, late in a famous Derby against Fremantle. |
| 2002 | Jason Akermanis | Brisbane Lions | A snap shot from 45m out on his non-preferred left boot, along the boundary line while turning around to the left of the goals against Carlton at the Gabba in round 14. |
| 2001 | Mark Merenda | West Coast Eagles | Paddled the ball from outside 50 along the boundary line towards goal and snapped it through from the pocket, against St. Kilda at the Telstra Dome. |
| 2000 | Kingsley Hunter | Western Bulldogs | Running from the defensive 50 he kept going and laid a handball off to Scott Wynd, received it back at centre wing, lined up from forward 50 and slotted it home (Was awarded on Rex Hunt’s Footy Show) |
| 1999 | Jarrod Molloy | Brisbane Lions | Molloy bursts through [Stephen Silvagni]] has a bounce handpasses to a teammate, gets it back and kicks a banana from the pocket at The Gabba |
| 1998 | Jeff Farmer | Melbourne | Ran the length of the ground, giving off 2 return handballs, to then receive the ball back, evade multiple opposition players and kick a goal from 45 metres out on the boundary line. |
| 1997 | Austinn Jones | St Kilda | Ran hard from defensive 50 and took several bounces along the wing, handballed to Andrew Thompson at forward 50, received the ball back and snapped a spectacular goal in the 1997 AFL Grand Final |
| 1996 | Winston Abraham | Fremantle | Ran onto a loose ball at forward 60, surged past two Swans defenders and took several bounces along the boundary line before slotting the goal from the goalsquare |
| 1995 | Tony Modra | Adelaide | Kicked the ball off the ground 35 m from goal and his scrubbed kick rolled to the forward pocket, finishing at the feet of Richmond full back Stuart Wigney. Modra followed up his kick, making up 30 m to soccer the ball away from Wigney then gather the loose ball and snap a beautiful goal from 20 m out hard on the boundary |
| 1994 | Mick McGuane | Collingwood | In one of the most famous of all time, oft compared to Phil Manassa’s famous Grand Final run, McGuane had a total of 7 bounces from the centre square, baulking two tackle attempts before kicking truly from 30 m at the MCG against Carlton |
| 1993 | Michael Long | Essendon | Ran and bounced several times for a controversial goal in the 1993 Grand Final. It was apparently touched on the line by Carlton full-back Stephen Silvagni, who to this day claims he touched it before sailing through for a goal. |
| 1992 | Darryl White | Brisbane Bears | Followed up a short kick that did not travel to the leading forward by kicking a ripper at Carrara from 30 m |
| 1991 | Peter Daicos | Collingwood | Baulk & snap from the pocket v Richmond at Victoria Park |
| 1990 | Michael Mitchell | Richmond | Gathered the ball in his own defensive area and set off on a blistering 70-metre run through the centre of the Sydney Cricket Ground, escaping a number of would-be tacklers and taking seven bounces before kicking truly from 35 metres out. |
| 1989 | Gary Ablett, Sr. | Geelong | Dropped a contested mark in the middle of the ground then ran onto the loose ball at full speed, bursting into the forward line and snapping truly from 50 m vs Collingwood (MCG) |
| 1988 | Matthew Larkin | North Melbourne | Spun around 3 West Coast players, snapping miraculously from the pocket |
| 1987 | David Murphy | Sydney Swans | After the Swans scored a behind, Murphy took a spectacular mark over an opponent’s back from a long kick-in, then quickly played on and kicked truly from more than 50 m away at an acute angle (from the left-side). |
| 1986 | Phil Krakouer | North Melbourne | Grabbed ball on the boundary line and ran around Frank Dunell before kicking a sensational goal from the boundary with his left foot. |
| 1985 | Andrew Bews | Geelong | A long run at Kardinia Park in which Bews baulked two tackles and bounced three times; 40 m out from goal, Bews attempted to touch the ball on the ground, fumbled and overran the ball before changing direction, recovering the ball and eventually slotting the goal from 30 m. |
| 1984 | Geoff Raines | Richmond | |
| 1983 | Ken Hunter | Carlton | |
| 1982 | Mick Conlan | Fitzroy | Marked on the wing, ran about 50 metres, baulked 2 tackles before kicking a goal from 60 metres. |
| 1981 | Peter Bosustow | Carlton | Smothered his Geelong opponent’s attempted clearing kick 20 m around in the right forward pocket at VFL Park, before standing, gathering and snapping a high goal over his right shoulder. |
| 1980 | Michael Turner | Geelong | 3 bounces, 1 baulk from the wing and a shot from 50 |
| 1979 | Leigh Matthews | Hawthorn | Took several detours to avoid North Melbourne opposition to score from the pocket in the first VFL game in Sydney since 1952 |
| 1978 | Phil Baker | North Melbourne | |
| 1977 | Phil Manassa | Collingwood | Manassa kicked a goal on the run from the half back flank in the 1977 Grand Final replay against North Melbourne |
| 1976 | Keith Greig | North Melbourne | |
| 1975 | ? | ? |
Why Goal of the Year Matters More Than Ever
In the modern AFL — with zoning, systems and structure dominating — Goal of the Year reminds us why we fell in love with footy in the first place.
It rewards:
- Creativity over conformity
- Courage over conservatism
- Expression over instruction
For younger fans, it’s a gateway into history. For older fans, it’s proof that while the game evolves, its soul remains intact.
Final Word: Football’s Most Human Award
Premierships define clubs. Brownlows define careers.
But Goal of the Year defines moments.
It is football stripped back to instinct, daring and joy — a reminder that sometimes the best decision is the bold one, and sometimes the impossible is only impossible until someone tries.
That is why the Phil Manassa Medal still matters.
And why every year, one goal lives forever.