Classic Cats: Gary Ablett's Mark of the Century - extended coverage and context

[windigo44]

Watching at normal speed I reckon I would NOT have paid it as it seems he doesn't have control of the ball BUT when I view it in slow-mo I see that:

1) as he spins 180 degrees he taps the ball down with his left hand and as he falls

2) he catches it between his upper right arm & ribcage & juggles it before

3) he SECURES it in the crook of his elbow about a metre from the turf when

4) the impact with the ground jars it loose.

Close call but I'd pay it. Looks like he finally had control.

[sliat1981]

that was not a mark he dropped it 2 his chest and it bounced away. shaun smith's was the mark of the century

[windigo44]

@sliat1981 - Though I am a Cats fan, born & raised in G-town, I'd have to agree with you about the Shaun Smith mark. Of all the screamers I've have the privilege to see, no one in my estimation ever got as high up as Smith did to nab a T.W. Sherrin. Smith came down from much higher in the sky than Ablett did here but held onto it all the way.

I only wish Smith's grab was shot in crisper detail & from multiple angles. It was freakish.

[jondoe4171]

He had the ball till he landed on his back. It was a mark. I am a cats fan. If it was a maggies player , I would still agree. Although begrudgingly . Go the Mighty Cats. Can They do it again in 2012. Let's hope so.

[shinsplints101]

Sento that WAS a mark he had control half way down hace a look hence why anlett knew hed marked!

Pause it you he had ball in right arm only came out when hit the ground

Greatest mark of all time

[Sento35]

Not a Mark, but great effort

[SearchAnimalChin]

I SEEN MY 7YR OLD DAUGHTER TAKE A BETTER MARK PLAYIN FOOTY WITH HER BROTHER WITH A ROLLED UP PAIR OF SOCKS IN THE HALLWAY OF THE HOUSE. PATHETIC 2 TOUCHES AND DROPPED IT!!!!!

[doowopsnhooligans]

hate to be the opponent getting a face full of balls!

[puff6759]

it was a mark but he just needed to mark it perfectly

[joshrobdaddy]

was a mark no worries

[larrytimtams]

Great leap, but he clearly never had control of the ball...Not a Mark...Magnificent Player all the same...I wish he stayed at Hawthorn.

[dontbeasofthunt]

Abletts secret to success was visualising in anticipation. Like anyone else would be in jail for loading a teenage girl up with drugs and doing a runner but Ablett, he visualised the Victorian police doing their best to help him get off.

[mhopel]

poor ablett



[mhopel]

what a mark!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mhopel]

10/10

[rikijames]

That was in Bruce's terms,

SPECIALLLLL

[StevenRhysCann]

Amazing leap, but a shocking decision by the umpire to pay the mark. He never had control of the ball.

[Crikin5]

collingwood is still the most popular team in afl

[shermo18]

EPIC FAIL! enough said

[styXv3ngeance]

Wow the commentary is so good! They don't do it like this anymore

[fjbutch]

Great living in NZ now,... but geez I miss my Aussie Rules. Best game on the planet...

[behappyproductions09]

how is that mark of the century? has anyone seen michael roach's

[Aussieboy8]

Should be renamed 'Gary Ablett's effort of the century'.. Clearly dropped it

[brassmonkeyhearts]

@Aussieboy8 you do realise that to take a mark all you have to do is control the ball to the ground, he had the ball when he hit, and dorpped it on impact, that's a mark

[TheMadeinoz]

i remember watching this game was a bloody brialliant mark as one of the commentators said when he hit the ground the ball came loose then but one awesome match and one mark i will remember for my lifetime true geelong supporter for 20 years now :)

[scotthendo]

Hard to say he controlled that.

[haggiss39]

clearly no where near as good as modra's against the roos 1993! he didnt have control of the footy!

[deejaystallion]

anyone who thinks it is mark of the centry mark of the year or even mark of the day is on the drugs gary ablett sr gave you, EPIC FAIL

[evilchris64]

that was the true mark of the century. alex jesalinko's was'nt close to this

[haggiss39]

@evilchris64 you sir are a spud!

[prwilkinson]

Fuck I miss 90's footy. 

[jarrod1685]

thats a mark easy

[dsago23]

good leap, but no mark, it only got paid because he is a favourite by the umpires

[jme682]

I thought a mark was when you caught the ball.

[whipcrackeraus]

If the ball was controlled, it's classed as a mark. Umpire's call at the time. If the Umpire said it was a mark, it was a mark.

This is coming from a HUGE Collingwood supporter too. Gary Ablett is the benchmark for marks and goal kicking.

[cozasports33]

the collingwood players wwe finisher is the powerbomb!

[WalterROX636]

it's a mark. The first time I saw it, it gave me shivers. It's probably the best mark ever

[billycarey100]

it wasent even a mark.

[jaidee76]

@billycarey100 The ball was controlled on the way down. It didnt move from under his arm for the entire descent to the ground. MARK!

[taipan185]

thats such bullshit that was never a grab..... it looked as spactacular as hell but it was never a mark.

[ryanhegarty1]

Yeh, in slow motion it did look like he had it. He got it in his right arm then it bounced up when he hit the ground. Very 50/50 though, but you kind of want to pay it just because of that leap.

[captcaveman82]

he doesn't control the ball. The crowd didnt think it was a mark, the commentators didnt think it was a mark.

[bonozo1]

great mark and made all the more better being against collingwood

[jelley17guitar]

Hey hahagek clearly afl isn't gay because faggots like yourself don't like it

[LouieAlsaidi]

Sheesh arnt those some clashing colours lol.

[hahaGEK420haha]

gAyFL is gay

[VioIentGoIdFish]

@hahaGEK420haha our players dont finger each others assholes, that usually happens in rugby

[hahaGEK420haha]

@VioIentGoIdFish no they just have gay anal sex with each other instead. bunch of fairies prancing around the field- how pathetic. too scared to even get tackled, they have to do some queer little punch pass to get the ball away before they get hurt. no skill whatsoever needed to play gAyFL - you just kick the ball with no accuracy whatsoever. you even get a point for missing!!! this is just soccer but you can use your hands, you have to wear homo uniforms and no straight men enjoy watching it.

[VioIentGoIdFish]

@hahaGEK420haha you've obviously never watched the game, if that's your opinion. i dont care if you dont like it, but what you described is nothing like afl

[walsh396]

@hahaGEK420haha wow it's amazing how wrong you are, it's arguably the most popular sport in Australia and straight men watch it...no one watches for sexual stimulation or anything ridiculous like that it's a great sport, with passion, skill and aggression. So.... GTFO

[plummer89]

@hahaGEK420haha Whats it like following a sport, such as the NRL, that is slowly dieing?? LOL 2 states, thats it.

[cozasports33]

@plummer89 actually 3 states 1 country

[0zziefan]

It might be ablett's mark of the cenury , but Shaun Smith made sure it wasn't "the Mark of the Century"

I wouldn't have paid it, but you can't blame the ump for getting carried away in the moment!

[Maffra04]

Good "attempt" at mark, but I'm pretty sure it would not be paid today. He didn't control it for any time at all. Pert a bit unlucky.

[cookiemonsstar]

Amazing this is 17 years a go, feels like last week I was there with my Dad & Brother watching the most incredible footballer ever to play.

[wavesmag]

The reason it was so good is how he planned the run up into the spin and to hit the ball back into himself was fricken genius

[williamv1]

i remember listening to this game on 3AW , all i remeber is rex hunt screeming YYYYYYYEEEEEEAAAAAAABBBBBBBBLE­EETTTTTTTTTTTTT, im i coolingwood supprtor to , and the sound of rex hunt sucked for me that day

[Bongoinc]

I see Gary Pert disliked this....

Tisk tisk

[wtw88]

This definitely was a mark. I was unsure when watching at regular speed from the angle the camera was set at, but it is clear in slow-mo that Gary dragged the ball to his body as he fell and only the terrible impact with the ground caused him to release it. He brought it to the ground, under control. That's a mark.

[38Sport2002]

What a game! The passage of play leading up to it was awesome. Footy at it's best in the 90s - the greatest.

[hoever06]

@38Sport2002 Thanks mate, I agree. The Cats shot out of the blocks and the Pies were really challenging after kicking nine of the previous 11 goals up to this clip. I really wanted to show the passage of play leading up to the mark because I think it is often forgotten that this was taken with five minutes left in the match and was the spark needed for Geelong to settle and win. Hocking goes on to kick yet another goal on his left from the left forward pocked a couple of minutes later.

[Robbieboy1976]

How did that Geelong team not win a Premiership - criminal! Ablett, Couch, Hocking, Colbert...such a great team!

[Jay4P]

you can see why they implemented clash strips : P

[winty76]

Crap umpiring there. He should've been kicking for goal from a 45 degree angle, not the angle the umpire ended up putting him on.

[Magnum1978]

I would have paid it, just because you saw he take control of the ball as he fell. Amazing stuff, great advertisement for the game.

[ablettman]

Best player for these 4 minutes and 42 seconds... David Mensch!

[AnvilOfKrom]

It's too bad that the umpire paid it then.

Just curious, when was the last AFL game you umpired by the way?

[thesupplantor]

Also, wasn't a mark. Sorry Geelong supporters.

[thesupplantor]

No wonder they introduced clash jumpers.

[WHAxWadeo]

I personally wouldn't have paid that as a mark, but a fantastic leap all the same. :)

[efcmetro1878]

@WHAxWadeo Agree, don't think that's a mark. Not enough control for mine. Also: worst clash of kits ever?

[MrOzanachronism]

@WHAxWadeo I agree. He didn't control the ball anywhere near long enough. I think the ump was hypnotized by the spectacle of the attempt and had paid it the moment he leaped onto Chris Langford's shoulder.

But who's nitpicking? He deserved the be paid that just for the spectacle and putting his body on the line!

[MrOzanachronism]

@MrOzanachronism Correction, Gary Pert!