AFL 25: The biggest 25 marks of the century so far
There’s nothing like a high-flying grab in Australian rules. But who flew highest this century? Josh Barnes picks the greatest 25 marks of the last 25 years. HAVE YOUR SAY.
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It is the most unique and greatest thrill of our game.
When a player sees the high ball and goes for it, jumping on or into or over whoever is in the way to take a speccy.
There is nothing like it and the crowd at a game of footy at any level often tells the story.
There is the gasp as the player sticks a knee into the back of an opponent, the cheer when they take the mark and, in the AFL, the second roar when they get a replay.
Ask any footy fan and they will tell you their favourite mark, the moment their breath was taken away.
And if you ask any footy fan, they will grade their types of great marks differently.
Some like the back-with-the-flight courage of a Nick Riewoldt or Jonathan Brown, others rate the audacity of going after pure hangtime in a one-on-one duel, while others prefer those that soar of a big pack.
That is why ranking the best grabs can be a fool’s errand, everybody has their own taste.
For all the high flyers and the big men, the top two marks taken this century have been from little men.
Gary Moorcroft set the bar at a height he should never have been able to reach when he took his full-stretch screamer over Brad Johnson in 2001, and it is a height no player has beaten since.
Moorcroft’s mark landed at No.1 because of its uniqueness and partially because of its simplicity – if you were to show someone what a speccy is, you should show them that mark in the goalsquare at then Colonial Stadium.
Ashley Sampi’s incredible second lift against Melbourne in 2004 was all style and lobbed at No.2, while Leo Barry’s famous grand final-saving pack mark was third.
Some argued Barry should be No.1 but the Swan dropped down two spots because his grab was more of a moment than a mark, even if it was a ripper.
As always, the best mark ever is an opinion pick, so let us know your favourite and who was missed.
1. GARY MOORCROFT
Essendon v Western Bulldogs, round 14, 2001
A mark so good, it got put on the cover of a video game. The image of Moorcroft stretched backwards to snatch the mark is incredible and while this wasn’t the highest grab on the list, it is just so instantly recognisable. But the fall was a long way down for the Bombers forward, who seriously injured his back. A rare time Brad Johnson was in the defensive goalsquare and a rare time Scott Lucas kicked on the right foot, to create this moment. As Bruce McAvaney opined, it was a mark so good “it will be on CNN”. And they put it on the AFL Live 2003 game cover. When you think of a speccy, you think of Gary Moorcroft’s mark.
2. ASHLEY SAMPI
West Coast v Melbourne, round 7, 2004
The leap, the lift, the casual landing, the rolled up sleeves. This Sampi grab was just pure class. The Eagle timed his jump on Dee Paul Wheatley so well that he got a second rise off Wheatley’s shoulders, then landed on his feet as light as a feather. All style.
3. LEO BARRY
Sydney v West Coast, grand final, 2005.
Easily the most important mark of the century so far. Has a ball ever stuck so cleanly as in Leo Barry’s hands in the middle of the pack with seconds to go in the grand final? There is no spectacular ride, but the Swan came from a long way to get to the ball and Stephen Quartermain’s iconic call of “Leo Barry, you star” only accentuates the grab. Barry himself knew the value, he went to caught over the copyright of the image at one point. While this mark is potentially the greatest moment of the century so far, it isn’t the best mark, so it ends up at No.3. If Alex Jesalenko’s 1970 grand final mark was the most memorable of the 20th century, Barry’s pack mark may well end up the most viewed grab of all time, given the proliferation of video in this century.
4. JONATHAN BROWN
Brisbane Lions v Hawthorn, round 17, 2002
Thank goodness Jade Rawlings got out of the way, because Brown could have killed him. The Lion ran back without a single thought of what was coming to take this chest mark, the stupidity of the bravery edges it just above similar courageous marks on this list like Nick Riewoldt and Steve Johnson. Brown won mark of the year and avoided a manslaughter charge.
5. ISAAC HEENEY
Sydney v GWS Giants, qualifying final, 2004
This monster grab on Jack Buckley had it all. A giant leap, the concentration to take a second grab at it while 3 metres in the air, the unusual hangtime before a flip towards ground. And then Heeney’s mum provided heartwarming thanks to Buckley for helping the super Swan land safely as he went down head first. Plus, the extra points for this mark inspiring Sydney to a huge comeback in the qualifying final over cross-town rivals GWS. The best genuine hangar in a final this century.
6. MICHAEL NEWTON
Melbourne v North Melbourne, round 16, 2007
A mark that launched 1000 gravity puns. Newton picked the right man to jump on when he launched onto the broad shoulders of teammate David Neitz, then the Dee got a straighten-up while at full height. A genuine classic. It was his fourth game and Gerard Healy quipped “he may never be heard of again but that mark is going to live on forever”. Newton ended up with a nondescript 28 games and a mark will live on forever.
7. BRETT BURTON
Adelaide v Carlton, round 22, 2009
The ‘Birdman’ leapt so Jeremy Howe could fly. One of the best aerialists ever, the Crow got a great jump into this grab, then got even higher off Kurt Tippett’s shoulders. Massive.
8. BRENDON GODDARD
St Kilda v Collingwood, 2010 grand final (draw)
Even the most pessimistic Saints fans thought they were going to break the flag drought when Goddard rose over Heritier Lumumba with seven minutes to go in the 2010 grand final. Lenny Hayes’ set-up kick was perfect and Goddard nailed the moment, clutching the ball to his shoulder. Seconds later he kicked a goal to put St Kilda in front for the first time in the match. Had the Saints held on, Goddard’s grab would have joined Barry Breen’s point in the greatest moments in club history. Instead, Saints fans get asked more about the way the ball bounced five minutes later.
9. NICK RIEWOLDT
St Kilda v Sydney, round 11, 2004
The debate over whether Riewoldt or Brown took the better mark has been raging for 20 years now. Brown just gets the nod for the sheer speed he went at but Riewoldt’s is incredible. He copped more contact – from teammate Stephen Milne – and had a spectacular fall. The Saints champ also didn’t win mark of the year for this, losing (rightly in our eyes) to Ashley Sampi. But that shouldn’t detract from what an effort of determination and courage this was. Dennis Cometti summed it up when he screamed: “Look out”.
10. MATTHEW LLOYD
Essendon v Melbourne, round 18, 2008
As Lloyd went back to his position after this phenomenal grab, he could clearly be seen telling opponent Matthew Warnock how good the mark was. And Lloyd was right, flying over the top of four others, this was a belter.
11. ANDREW WALKER
Carlton v Essendon, round 18, 2011
Walker was in perfect position and Mitch Robinson’s kick was perfectly weighted for a speccy over Jake Carlisle. But the Blue more than made the most of the set up, hanging with two knees on Carlisle’s shoulders and almost casually marking in his bread basket. Andrew Krakour took a good mark later this year but him beating Walker for mark of the year remains a black mark.
12. JEREMY HOWE
Collingwood v Melbourne, round 12, 2017
If Eddie Betts is the 21st century’s best spectacular goalkicker, Jeremy Howe is the best taker of a speccy. The Kelly Slater of head surfing, Howe will appear again in this list, but his monster grab over Tom McDonald is his best. He got up high then got a small extra lift off McDonald. Like Andrew Walker, a blunder he didn’t win mark of the year for this, with Joe Daniher somehow winning instead. This was a mark so good that Herald Sun snapper Mark Stewart’s brilliant photo was made into a unique wrap of the paper the very next day.
13. HARRY HIMMELBERG
GWS Giants v Adelaide, round 1, 2023
Might just pip Andrew Walker for the longest hang time on this list. Himmelberg smartly jumped on ruck Reilly O’Brien and the Crow held his body shape, allowing Himmelberg to stay tall. He appeared to almost pause at this highest point, looking like a golden figurine that you would put on a trophy before under-12s presentation night.
14. BRAD OTTENS
Geelong v Sydney, round 5, 2006
“Will he ever come down?”. If Darren Jolly didn’t go to ground, Ottens may still have his knees wrapped around the Swan’s shoulders. For a big man who wasn’t a renowned high-flyer, this was a huge grab, and perfectly summed up by Anthony Hudson.
15. STEVE JOHNSON
Geelong v Port Adelaide, qualifying final, 2004
A nod to how forgotten this back-with-the-flight classic is: this mark doesn’t warrant its own video on YouTube and it doesn’t even make it into a compilation on the same website of Johnson’s career finals highlights. The sublimely skilled Cat simply throws himself at this ball, into the way of two others coming at him and performs a nice mid-air spin on the way down. The Cats would lose this game comfortably so it gets forgotten, but it’s an incredible mark.
16. JEREMY HOWE
Melbourne v Sydney, round 8, 2012
Legend has it Howe is still hanging on Heath Grundy’s shoulders. An early Howe classic, he got the position then hung for an eternity to snatch the mark.
17. BOBBY HILL
Collingwood v North Melbourne, round 15, 2024
There was some debate whether Hill or his teammate Jamie Elliott deserved the mark of the year crown in 2024, but Hill was the right choice. What made this grab special was the way the 2023 Norm Smith medallist just floated above the pack, then got a bump as he took the grab. He took off so early and hung in the air like an Olympic long jumper before casually landing on his feet and giving opponent Jackson Archer a cheeky bump. Glorious.
18. LIAM JURRAH
Melbourne v Port Adelaide, round 21, 2010
What a player Jurrah was in his 36 AFL games. All of that talent was clear in this classic, almost jumping clean over two players then landing with a stylish roll. If only we got to see more of it.
19. JACK RIEWOLDT
Richmond v Adelaide, round 11, 2021
Great Marks usually fall into certain categories. Back with the flight, one-on-one hangar, leaping over a pack. But this Riewoldt grab was unique given it was both the courageous grab going back and the hang on a pack. The Tiger great somehow went back 25 metres and then while in mid-air pirouetted on top of two players and marked facing forwards. There are no marks quite like it.
20. NIC NAITANUI
West Coast v Geelong, round 9, 2015
A brilliant dismount sealed this grab, with Nic Nat getting a full ride on the giant shoulder of Mark Blicavs. A huge grab, but the Eagles champ later lamented that all it won him was a year supply of Weet Bix.
21. TONY MODRA
Fremantle v Geelong, round 1, 2000
Trademark Modra, even if he was in the Freo jumper. Got his knee on the shoulder over Ben Graham to get a nice long ride and then plucked the ball out of Clint Bizzell’s hands.
22. SHAI BOLTON
Richmond v Geelong, round 8, 2021
Everybody at the MCG knew Bolton was going to launch at this long ball from Jack Graham. Mark Blicavs even had a look at the little Tiger to try and guard him away from the Sherrin. But nothing could stop Bolton from flying hard and completing the mark with a quick scissor kick for extra style points.
23. JIMMY BARTEL
Geelong v Western Bulldogs, round 11, 2004
You can see Bartel coming on the replay, storming from the right of the screen to the left with his eyes completely on the ball as he stole a grab from Adam Cooney. Added style points for ending up rolling over the top of the pack and was seemingly stuck on his back there for a moment.
24. CHRIS TARRANT
Collingwood v Melbourne, round 11, 2001
No doubt the Magpie flyer would have won mark of the year honours if not for Gary Moorcroft. Tarrant soared over the top of a huge pack on Queen’s Birthday to reel in a mark with two hands. Tarrant would win the grab of the season honour two years later against Geelong, but his ‘01 screamer was better.
25. AARON EDWARDS
North Melbourne v Hawthorn, elimination final, 2007
A classic of the genre where a player comes from behind a pack and takes a ride. Edwards got a perfect sit on Trent Croad and Drew Petrie and seemed to pause in position for the cameras.
Originally published as AFL 25: The biggest 25 marks of the century so far
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