Players who regularly flew high to take spectacular marks in VFL/AFL history

JEREMY Howe, Gary Ablett and Warwick Capper have thrilled crowds with their high marking, but who was the best at taking regular hangers? JOIN THE DEBATE

Ashley Sampi took a massive grab against Melbourne in 2004. Pic Michael Dodge

JEREMY Howe never wanted to be “the bloke who just takes hangers”.

When he joined Collingwood last season high-flying Howe told the Herald Sun he desperately wanted to turn his weekly capacity for dragging down wow-factor marks into a consistency of performance.

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So far, in his 32 games in black and white, he’s managed to do both.

Howe was a very good performer for the Magpies last season and has elevated himself even further this year to the point where he would have to be in contention for All-Australian honours.

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Better still, fresh from taking another extraordinary mark on Queen’s Birthday, he must be rated among the best overall exponent of the big mark in league history — by sheer weight of numbers.

HIGH FLIERS — THE GAME’S BEST HIGH MARKS (by body of work)

Exhibit A ... Pies fans enjoyed seeing Jeremy Howe fly over Dale Thomas. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Howe huge mark over Tom McDonald on Queen’s Birthday had the footy world buzzing. Picture: Mark Stewart

Howe has made a habit of hauling in screamers. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Howe with a casual ‘speccy’ during his Demon days. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

1. Jeremy Howe (Collingwood/Melbourne)

His Queen’s Birthday classic makes it 29 ‘Mark of the Year’ weekly nominations since his debut with the Demons in 2011. Enough said. Has a ridiculously high leap and rarely fails to control the ball when he is up in rarefied air. This most recent one is surely his best.

John Coleman takes a big mark for Essendon in 1951.

The graceful Coleman marks over North Melbourne’s Vic Lawrence in 1953.

2. John Coleman (Essendon)

Dick Reynolds once said Coleman could drag an extra 10,000 fans to a game with his high-leaping exploits. Many of them would go from one end to the other just to see him fly for marks at any angle. One defender once said Coleman flew so high over him one day that “he jumped clean over my head.”

Tony Modra, or ‘Godra’ as Crows fans called him.

This goal square hanger earned Modra mark of the year in 1993. Pic: Mark Brake

3. Tony Modra (Adelaide/Fremantle)

Was it any wonder they called him ‘Godra’ in Adelaide, for his immense public profile in South Australia during the ‘90s. But it also would have served him well in a heavenly sense, given how high Modra used to rise. Won three AFL ‘Marks of the Year’ awards, and there were a dozen or so others in contention. A genuine freak.

Collingwood's Ron Todd takes a spectacular mark at Victoria Park.

Todd takes a juggling mark against the Cats.

4. Ron Todd (Collingwood)

This most spectacular marking forward of his age was seemingly “born to fly”, as the scribes often suggested. The many photographs of Todd rising over opponents with his arms outstretched and mouth wide open stand testament to that. Imagine how many more there would be if the game had been covered as comprehensibly as it is today.

Gary Ablett’s one-handed, twisting hanger over Gary Pert was off the charts for degree of difficulty. Picture: Phillip Stubbs

Gary Ablett won a car when he soared over Mark Jackson and Ross Glendinning at Kardinia Park in 1985.

5. Gary Ablett Sr. (Geelong)

Ablett provided the most diverse body of work of any footballer in VFL-AFL history. He marked them in every possible manner — high and low; on leads and in the air; on his chest and in his hands. At times it was impossible to stop him.

Peter Knights marks over Stephen Silvagni ... both men were frequent flyers. Picture: BRUCE HOWARD.

Knights got a ride on teammate Kelvin Moore.

6. Peter Knights (Hawthorn)

It’s often forgotten how effortless and graceful Knights was when he flew for the ball. But it was his courage as much as anything else that was his trademark. He flew without fear, and often without peer. His duel with Paul Vander Haar one day at Windy Hill was one for the ages.

Crow Brett Burton took this massive grab at Etihad Stadium in 2009.

The ‘Birdman’ was a spring-heeled jack.

7. Brett Burton (Adelaide)

He wasn’t nicknamed ‘The Birdman’ for no reason. Genetically blessed with a fine leap and superb timing, Burton was an extraordinary mark. It wasn’t just his ‘Mark of the Year’ in 2009 over a pack, he used to throw himself at similar aerial challenges each week.

Alex Jesaulenko thrilled Blues fans.

‘Jezza’ took what might be footy’s most iconic speccy in the 1970 Grand Final. You beauty! Picture: Bruce Howard

8. Alex Jesaulenko (Carlton)

Like Ablett, Jezza had a wide array of grabs for assessment, from his trademark classic leap on Graeme Jenkin’s back in the 1970 Grand Final to marks taken diving at full stretch. He always maintained his greatest mark came at Princes Park one day when he rose above a pack, but it was never captured on film.

Bob Pratt was a star — especially in the air.

Pratt wearing cuts a spectacular figure taking this mark against the Tigers.

9. Bob Pratt (South Melbourne)

Relatively short as a full-forward, Pratt more than made up for this with his capacity to stalk his opponents and rise over the top of them. He used to time his leaps by keeping his eyes on the shoulders of his opponent. As they moved for the ball, he launched himself. He was able to twist and turn in the air, and fortunately many of these marks were captured for posterity.

Warwick Capper’s tight shorts didn’t stop him climbing on Chris Langford. Pic: John Feder

Warwick Capper, aka ‘The Wiz’, flies over Mick Martyn. Picture: BRUCE HOWARD

10. Warwick Capper (Sydney)

We know the Wiz is prone to exaggeration and never misses the chance to tell us how good he was. But when it comes to high-flying marks, there was no hyperbole needed. During a period in the mid 1980s, there was no more spectacular mark in the game. Just ask former AFL Commissioner Chris Langford. The expression “taking a Caaaaapper’ lives on as a result.

Shaun Smith flew over Mark Richardson and Mal Michael.

Smith was so high against Brisbane snappers couldn’t nail the shot. Pic Channel Seven

11. Shaun Smith (Melbourne)

His 1995 ‘Mark of the Year’ at the Gabba ranks as one of the greatest individuals AFL marks. But Smith’s body of work is just as considerable. His capacity to rise seemingly without effort, as he did that night at the Gabba, set him apart from many of his contemporaries.

Billy Picken provided plenty of thrills.

Picken’s grab over Richmond was huge.

12. Bill Picken (Collingwood)

Picken set the standard with a sensational one-handed ‘mark’ on debut in 1974, but the umpire disallowed it. He made up for it by winning two ‘Mark of the Year’ awards in his first three seasons (1974 and ‘76). Who could ever forget his grab over Mark Maclure in the 1979 Grand Final, or his flying for marks with his tongue stuck out, crying out: “Here comes Billy”.

Russell Robertson was always acrobatic.

’Robbo’ took this hanger against the Blues in 2005.

13. Russell Robertson (Melbourne)

What is it about Melbourne players and ‘screamers’? From the moment Robertson’s AFL career was launched by a video sent to The Footy Show’s ‘Almost Footy Legends’, he was renown for his ability to drag down the biggest of marks.

The late Trevor Barker certainly was great.

Barker was one of the Saints’ most spectacular players, Pic: ‘Miracle Marks’ DVD

14. Trevor Barker (St Kilda)

A champion mark and an even better bloke. ‘Barks’ could ride on the shoulders of his opponents for what seemed like an eternity. He made footy fun for long-suffering Saints fans during some of their toughest years and left behind memories of so many crowd-thrilling marks.

Originally published as Players who regularly flew high to take spectacular marks in VFL/AFL history