AFL Mark of the year winners

The Mark: Australian Football’s Most Spectacular Art Form

There are goals that win premierships, tackles that define reputations, and moments that turn games. But nothing stops an Australian rules football crowd quite like a clean, fearless, gravity-defying mark.

The AFL Mark of the Year is more than an annual award — it is a celebration of courage, timing, athleticism, and imagination. It honours the rare footballer willing to run back with the flight, launch over packs, and trust their hands at the game’s most dangerous point.

From suburban ovals to packed Grand Finals, the mark has become part of Australian sporting folklore.

What Is a Mark?

Under AFL laws, a mark is awarded when a player cleanly catches a kicked ball that has travelled at least 15 metres without touching the ground or another player. While technically simple, the execution is anything but.

A Mark of the Year contender usually includes:

• Leap and elevation
• Clean hands under pressure
• Body control in the air
• Courage over an opponent’s head
• And often, a moment of genuine risk

It’s football played at full speed, in mid-air, with no safety net.

The Birth of Mark of the Year

The concept of recognising the game’s best aerial act emerged in the early 1970s, originally known as VFL Mark of the Year. Selections were made by football experts on Channel Seven’s World of Sport, reflecting the era when football moments were replayed endlessly on weekend TV.

When the competition officially became the AFL in 1990, the award evolved with it, later becoming an AFL-run initiative in 2001. Today, fans vote weekly on nominated marks, with the final winner decided at the Brownlow Medal ceremony — a fitting stage for football’s most spectacular individual honour.

The Mark of the Century: Alex Jesaulenko, 1970

No discussion of Mark of the Year can begin anywhere else.

Alex Jesaulenko’s soaring leap in the 1970 VFL Grand Final remains the single most iconic image in Australian football history. With teammates’ words ringing out — “Jesaulenko, you beauty!” — he climbed onto an opponent’s shoulders and froze time itself.

Although the official award system was still developing, Jesaulenko is widely acknowledged as the spiritual first winner. The mark wasn’t just spectacular — it happened on the game’s biggest stage, cementing its mythic status.

To this day, every big hanger is measured against that moment.

Multiple Winners and Aerial Royalty

Across more than five decades, 32 players have officially won Mark of the Year. Only a select few have managed the feat multiple times — a sign not just of athleticism, but of a footballer who actively hunted the moment.

Peter Knights (Hawthorn) – 3 Wins

Knights was the original aerial artist. His timing, leap, and bravery defined the 1970s and early 80s, when full-forwards routinely flew for marks with no regard for personal safety.

Tony Modra (Adelaide / Fremantle) – 3 Wins

If Knights was classical, Modra was explosive. His marks weren’t just high — they were audacious. Modra attacked packs at speed, twisting and contorting mid-air in ways rarely seen before or since.

Modra’s presence alone changed defensive behaviour. Backs stopped zoning off — because if Modra was anywhere nearby, the ball was his.

Mark of the Year and Goal of the Year: The Rare Double

Only two players have achieved the rare feat of winning both Mark of the Year and Goal of the Year in the same season:

• Michael Mitchell (1990, Richmond)
• Peter Bosustow (1981, Carlton)

This double speaks volumes about a footballer’s versatility. To be both an aerial specialist and a creative goal scorer places them in rare company — the type of player crowds paid to see.

Modern Era: The Evolution of the Spectacular Mark

As defensive systems tightened and zones replaced one-on-one contests, many believed the days of big hangers were numbered. Instead, players adapted.

Notable Modern Winners

• Gary Moorcroft (2001, Essendon) – Perhaps the greatest in-game mark of all time, launched off Brad Johnson’s back and into folklore
• Nic Naitanui (2015, West Coast) – A ruckman redefining what big men could do
• Majak Daw (2016, North Melbourne) – Athleticism meeting raw courage
• Liam Ryan (2019, West Coast) – Timing, flair, and instinct rolled into one
• Sam Walsh (2020, Carlton) – A reminder that midfielders can fly too

The modern mark is faster, cleaner, and often taken in space — but the bravery remains unchanged.

Mark of the year Winners

Why the Mark Still Matters

In an era obsessed with pressure acts, defensive efficiency, and running patterns, the mark remains pure football joy.

It reminds fans why they fell in love with the game:

• The courage to jump first
• The confidence to trust your hands
• The willingness to fail spectacularly in pursuit of something great

Mark of the Year isn’t about statistics — it’s about moments. Moments replayed for generations.

Final Thoughts from an AFL Tragic

Every AFL supporter remembers where they were when they saw a great mark for the first time. That’s the power of this award. It transcends clubs, rivalries, and eras.

From Jesaulenko to Modra, from Knights to Moorcroft, and into today’s high-flying era — the Mark of the Year remains the game’s most breathtaking expression of skill and courage.

And long may it soar.