Mark of the year / goal of the year

[David]

What are your picks?

http://www.afl.com.au/video/2018-09-06/mark-and-goal-of-the-year-the-finalists

I feel like Higgins is the standout of a strong bunch for GOTY (of course some will argue that it shouldn't have even been paid), but the three marks, on the other hand, were a little underwhelming – I feel like we've seen better. Where are the big pack marks, or players getting really high? Aaron Francis's last week, for instance, was better, I reckon, as well as (for us) Howe's against Richmond in Round 6. Anyway, of that lot, maybe Cameron, but I don't feel like any really deserve it.

You can vote here:
http://goaloftheyear.afl/vote/round/24
http://markoftheyear.afl/vote/round/24

[Presti35]

Last year's was a farce. I only wish there was an obvious winner that missed out again.

[Jezza]

The award has lost all credibility after last year's debacle.

Still spewing that Howe didn't win MOTY.

[K]

Media claimed that robbed Howe of $40k.

[Presti35]

[Presti35]

And at least when Krakouer won, it was a deserving finalist. Walker took the better mark, but at least Kraks was in the conversation for the award as a high flying pack mark.

Again Danihers mark was good. But not even in the top 3 for the year. Staggering that he won.

[Jezza]

I remember Joe looked embarrassed winning the award, but I couldn't see how he could turn it down in any circumstance.

Howe's mark will be remembered for years. I saw it live, and straight away I thought I witnessed the MOTY, and I'm sure 99.99% of the crowd did as well.

It shouldn't have been left to the general public to vote.

[K]

If a throw wins, it'll be in some ways appropriate.

But there's a lot of money attached (directly or indirectly) to these things. ($40k, for goodness sake!) That's reason enough for them to get things right.

[Stinger]

I’m going to say Cameron. Even though he won’t. Def gets pushed into him and still gets the sit on him, then lands on his head. Level of difficulty to adjust before taking off 10. Francis was the best, he had the sit on two players’ shoulders. That said Heaney will win it.

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

Voted Cameron goal and Heeny mark.

Ridiculous that finals don't get included. Martins goal last night would certainly have been a contender.

[woodys_world69]

you guys here need to hurry up and choose, so i can use my chinese botnet to vote and show that anyone can win with enough knowhow.

I have been working on this project since last years disgrace.

[woodys_world69]

http://markoftheyear.afl/vote/submit/24/1

http://goaloftheyear.afl/vote/submit/24/2

These are the direct links to both Charlie's goals and marks of the year. Just put them in ur browser and go to the URL to vote

cant let richmond scum win!

[K]

Oh, no. You guys think Cameron's goal? I'm not sure I don't prefer Parker's. I guess it depends to what extent one thinks it a fluke. Cameron's of course is a really different type of goal. I really think Parker's was far, far superior to the throw-goal, even if you suspend the rules and allow throws, because Parker's was so far out it required a proper bicycle kick --- just any hack would not do.


I'm also not sure going to the direct links given above works...

[K]

Parker's effort made me think back to Jakovich's and wonder how far out he was.

From about 10:20 on in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB8msUFaKac

Possibly even further out, but not directly over his head.

[K]

It's a pity Toby Greene's latest kung-fu kick to the upper body came too late for his efforts to be rewarded by a MOTY finalist nomination. The Higgins throw-goal actually reminded me a lot of Toby's signature move. (I'd say Toby's move is more legitimate and more creative --- who else does that? --- but also more dangerous.)

The point is this: Toby did this last year. It is not a normal football action. They could have and should have acted last year to clarify the rule and make it completely clear that it is at least giving away a free kick. They didn't, so we have what we have now. In the latest video, you can see Toby's teammate virtually laughing as the Swans defenders protest. Likewise for throwing the ball.

The laws would be thousands of pages long if they had to specify the umpire reaction to every single situation, but once something has happened and caused controversy the AFL needs to act. Imagine if Toby takes a kung-fu-kick mark on the final siren for a shot at goal to win the match next Saturday.


Postscript:

Nathan Burke (on the MRP): “(Last year) basically we said, ‘You shouldn't be able to do that, we don't want kids doing that, we don't want other players doing that,’ so we made a sanction. So there is precedence there.
...
“You don't want kids receiving the ball (and thinking), ‘There’s somebody coming at me (so) I’m just going to stick my foot up.’ In soccer you'd be straight off the ground (because you had) studs up. ... We’ve been taking speccies in this game for 140 years without flinging your feet out everywhere, so just stop it.”


Well, Nathan, it won't stop unless the AFL actually does something, which of course it can.