Gary Moorcroft urges the AFL to hand over a car to 2024’s MOTY winner after Jamie Elliott screamer

Jamie Elliott is the clear favourite for the 2024 Mark of the Year so far, but a former winner has urged the league to hand over a better prize than what has been given in recent times. DOWNLOAD THE POSTER HERE.

Jamie Elliott takes a huge mark.

Mark of the year winner Gary Moorcroft has urged the league to again hand over a car to the winner of the league’s best mark after Jamie Elliott’s Anzac Day screamer set alight the MCG.

Elliott’s brilliant mark over Essendon’s Ben McKay, captured perfectly by Herald Sun photographer Michael Klein, was easily the best mark of the 2024 season so far.

McKay told the Herald Sun from the changerooms on Thursday he was hopeful Elliott went on to win the Mark of the Year after being “posterised” by the Collingwood high flyer.

DOWNLOAD THE POSTER OF ELLIOTT’S SPECKY HERE

Jamie Elliott’s huge grab. Picture: Michael Klein

But last year’s winner, GWS Giant Harry Himmelberg, won only a pie warmer from the AFL’s sponsor Four’N Twenty and $10,000 in cash.

Four’N Twenty pie warmers are available on eBay for $300.

💬 “Well, looks like Jamie’s won himself a pie warmer and a year's supply of pies.”

Harry Himmelberg after seeing Jamie Elliott’s mark.

— GWS GIANTS (@GWSGIANTS) April 25, 2024

The league this year has a new sponsor in Virgin for its mark of the year so Elliott or whoever beats him will miss out on the pie warmer.

The AFL said on Friday it was working through its prizes for the award this year so there is a chance a more meaningful prize could be awarded to Elliott.

But Moorcroft, whose 2001 mark over human stepladder Brad Johnson was judged the second-best mark of all time in a recent fan poll, says the winner of the mark of the year deserves more.

“We were the last winners to get a car, the mark and goal of the year,” he said of his mark and the winning goal from West Coast’s Mark Merenda.

Gary Moorcroft’s Mark of the Year in 2001.

“The AFL make enough money off their sponsors to be able to give away good prizes. Mine was a Volkswagen and I sold it straight away. The taxman took half of it but it gives these guys an incentive to go for their marks and have a crack at it. You don’t see those marks too often these days but (Elliott) is renowned for it.”

Of roaming forward Johnson’s role in his mark, 48-year-old Moorcroft quipped: “He shouldn’t have come down there in the first place.”

Elliott won the 2013 Mark of the Year and said on Thursday he had been determined to hang onto the mark given how he had perched on McKay’s shoulders.

“I was sh****ing myself. Was thinking don’t drop it as I have got the perfect sit. That’s my best, 100 per cent. I am surprised I can still jump that high but that is definitely the best. I felt like I was up there. (But) I don’t think it’s (mark of the year) worth as much these days.”

Originally published as Gary Moorcroft urges the AFL to hand over a car to 2024’s MOTY winner after Jamie Elliott screamer