Jamie Elliott’s jaw-dropping mark on Anzac Day has been hailed as one of the greatest in AFL history. The Collingwood star soared over Essendon’s Ben McKay in the third quarter of Thursday’s clash, pulling down a screamer that left commentators and fans in awe.
‘That is as good as it gets over the hulking frame of Ben McKay,’ said Channel 7 commentator James Brayshaw. ‘Gee we’ve seen some big marks at this ground – none bigger than that… That is our game at it’s best.’
Melbourne legend Garry Lyon told Fox Footy: ‘Jamie Elliott has ensured he will be on Anzac Day highlight reels forever and ever. That, my friends, is going to take some beating for mark of the year.’
Triple All-Australian Eddie Betts was left in awe of Elliott’s mark. ‘I’ve been on this ground in the opposite pocket playing against Essendon and watching Andrew Walker jump and take that big speccy,’ Betts told Fox Footy. ‘That has to win mark of the year, for him to get up that high.’
Coincidentally, Elliott’s mark occurred in the same pocket of the same ground against the same opposition as when he kicked his gobsmacking post-siren match-winning goal against the Bombers last year. Importantly, Elliott converted his set-shot goal after the mark, adding to the brilliance of his performance.
Elliott’s mark is sure to be a contender for Mark of the Year and will be replayed for generations to come. It was a moment of pure athleticism and skill that encapsulates the beauty of the AFL.
