Rob Reacts to... Football Fan Reacts to the AFL's Best Marks of the Decade - 2010-2019 

Health and safety? Of course there is, it's called a mouth guard.

Pulling off a specky is one of the greatest feelings ever. We were doing it on purpose as kids in school.

Australia: you don't have to be crazy to live here, but it helps 🤣

Hi Rob, the reason it's called a mark is that in the 1850's when the game first started, when the ball was caught the player "marked " the ground and the opposition stood on the mark. Also welcome to the greatest sport no one has heard of.

1:20 that’s why Australian called the Italian soccer player a soook when took a drive at the World Cup

Also, yes it’s influenced by Irish football, but it’s also adapted from a game that certain aboriginal groups played. Many top players are indigenous aussies. I think roughly 10% of AFL players in the top league are indigenous, compared to something like 2 or 3% of the population. Cheers mate.

I’m Australian. Had some success. You never expect someone to be on your shoulders, you try your best to get the ball, if you don’t put your body in the line success in the game becomes difficult. However on the other end, being on someone’s shoulders is thrilling

My favourite rule is if someone goes to take a spectacular mark but misjudges and misses the ball, the umpire can blow the whistle for an “unrealistic attempt” 😂 this basically gives the other team a free kick

In the 2018 grand final, jeremy mcgovern of the west coast eagles played the game with cracked ribs, torn obliques and hip muscles, and the week before had sustained injuries causing him internal bleeding, and having to be on a morphine drip. he needed 6 pain injections the day of the grand final just to play, and in the game he had the other ribs cracked as well. But he pushed on and was pivotal in getting the eagles across the line. We breed em pretty tough down here.

As a 60+ year old, I remember during my primary school days the most famous big marker was named Alex Jesaulenko. If, at any time when walking around the school ground, you heard the shout "JEZZA!", you braced for the knee in the back.

I think it is called a mark because when you catch it, the umpire "Marks" the place on the field where you caught it for your free kick.

The meaning of a mark is originally idea of marking the spot where its caught

You’re taught as a defender to play in front. But you know at some stage a 100kg (200lb) forward will smash over your head at some stage. Also, remember the guys getting jumped on in the AFL are usually over 6’4” so when they get up it’s high.

You can’t truly appreciate this game until you have seen it live... the crowds... you get swept up in it... even if you don’t understand the game, the whole atmosphere just draws you in and you can’t help yourself!!!!

I'm just here today waiting for the traditional 2021 ANZAC day match between Collingwood and Essendon. Lest we forget.

Why they call it a mark. The mark is actually the spot on the ground where the catch was taken. The player taking the mark can either play on, or step back and take a unimpeded kick. The player standing on the mark can not cross that mark unless the umpire calls "play on" if the player did, they would be penalized, and the person taking the mark would be awarded a 50 meter penalty (they can advance 50 meters further down the ground, and that spot becomes the mark). I don't know if you've reacted to it yet, but definitely react to "What is AFL: Aussie Rules explained" from the official AFL channel. You shouldn't get any copyright issues from that.

The ball's roughly the same size as a rugby ball but its made of really smooth leather so in the wet it's like a bar of soap trying to mark it

Perhaps you could react to the difference between AFL players and soccer players video, it's totally embarrassing watching even the greats of soccer rolling around on the ground in agony when they haven't even been touched. If an AFL player did that he would booed off the ground by everyone including his teams supporters and team mates.

16:15 "And he was probably the smallest one there" ... Brendan Goddard is 6-foot-4.

Rob. I worked with some Australians, all ages, they said that during 'rest' periods on the farm they would clear a patch of the larger rocks and play 'footy'. Not the jumpers for goalposts game i envisaged but AFL. The farmer had to ban them playing due to mounting injuries landing on rocks the size of a melon or the baked Hard ground. They also said that players not tough enough for AFL then go play rugby league, NRL.

In a game these are usually unexpected however players actually train to jump on each other. There are bags called speckie bags and they are basically large foam backpacks that players practice this on.

These highlights concentrate on the high marks. It's impressive when you watch a man-on-man contest where one player just holds his ground and takes the mark against another player or players body-on-body. These are some impressive athletes. Injuries are mostly to knees and legs. Shoulders are an issue. Big issue at the moment is concussion with players having head clashes or hitting their head on the ground - it's always been part of the game (big guys running at one another to stop each other) - but the effects of concussion are now getting major attention with the death of players (including a female player to suicide whose brain showed concussion injuries).

The great Jack Dyer of Richmond fame in the 1940's loved to tell tall tales of his prowess. One was when he soared for a mark just as the 3/4 time siren was sounding. He says he "hung in the air" so long that a trainer had to toss an orange up to him.

The ones that seem to just stay in the air are called 'hangers'. So: "....took an almighty hangar"

You don’t expect it - you expect that someone will jump from behind you but it’s probably 1/100 that they get up on your shoulders. The feeling when it happens to you is strange but i think embarrassment is the best descriptor.

After you "Mark" the ball, you go "back on your Mark, and the opposition player takes up position facing you, on your Mark ( but must not go over or forward of your Mark till the Marking player has kicked or disposed of the ball by handball.)

What is the real surprise is the size of some of these players. Nic Naitanui, the player in yellow at the 4.45m mark of this video is 201 cm tall and weighs 110kg.

If you get a chance look up video of Alex Jesaulenko's mark from the 1970 Grand Final - it's considered one of the most iconic marks ever in Aussie Rules. His nickname was "Jezza" and as kids if you pulled off a high mark someone might call out "Jezza" to applaud your efforts

I've been watching this all my life and am still amazed at how such big guys have the momentum to jump so high. It's wonderful to watch the grace of them in flight! This video reminds me of my childhood, all I would hear on a Saturday afternoon was "Beautiful MARK!!!"

Aussie Rules footy has been played for 160yrs..so before Soccer & American football started. Even as a kid in primary school..6yo & upwards,you practice taking 'screamers'(jumping on shoulders to take a mark). It's part of the game & is just one of the reasons Aussie Rules is so enthralling to play..& watch👍

You need to watch the 2018 AFL Grandfinal Collingwood v WestCoast. Best game for many a year, even for neutral supporters.

I played from the age of 7 until I was 34. My experience being the stepladder (on more occasions than I can remember), was that I was never seriously hurt. The worst I can remember was a couple of stitches to a cut head. Generally, the guy taking the mark is at greater risk, as they have a tendency to fall pretty hard .

An interesting fact about the Aussie Rules players stamina ... average player runs just over 10kms per game ... Mid-field players cover closer to 14/15kms per game (highest recorded via tracker was 18.9kms). They do all these accurate kicks, marks, tackles/hits & goals doing that. Man I miss playing it!

Gday Rob This brilliant game is all about courage, stamina and team. It is aggressive where opponents intimidate each other but you never back out when it’s your turn to commit to a contest. These guys are demonstrating eyes on the ball and going hard at it. Also being on the bottom sucks as does getting elbows and knees in all parts of your body but players never back out of the contest. You get as good as you give and it’s an accepted part of the game that at some stage someone will be standing on your heard. Cop it sweet mate and never back out

We have a saying in AFL: Some days your the bug, some your the windshield.

Being "ridden" is bloody unpleasant, and leaves bruises, but it rarely results in real injury. The main thing is that it's so bloody unexpected, because you're totally focused on the ball. And if you start getting "gun-shy" and try to avoid being ridden, you'll be a worse player because you won't be focussing on the ball. You have to be totally fearless to succeed and take your lumps as a result. EDIT: The spot where you caught it is the "mark" from which you have to kick it if you elect to take the free kick.

Would love to see you react to some big hits. I'd recommend "Best of the Decade: 2010-2019 | Brutal bumps and tackles | AFL"

3:10 believe it or not but most Aussie kids play this game during recess and idk about other other Aussies but yes we still did these all the time

What always amazes me is their agility for their weight/size - not lightweight ballerinas flying in the air. Yet they make it look very easy to lift themselves so high onto someone's shoulders/back. Incredible athletes.

The ball similar size to a rugby ball, if anything just slightly bigger. It’s not grippy, it’s kangaroo leather and very slippery when wet. Yes, you heard that correctly it’s literally made from kangaroo skin.

Worst situations are usually from player collisions when they converge from opposite directions but the more common debilitating injuries are knee tendon and ligament damage from twists and turns.

A bruising knee in the back of the head. An Aussie rite of passage!

Once you've watched a bit of Aussie Rules try the International Rules games on You Tube, these are games between Ireland and Australia using a hybrid of Gaelic Football and Aussie Rules. It can get a bit tasty.

The AFL ball is about 70cm from one point to the other and 55cm around the middle, making it a bit smaller than a rugby ball (~77cm x 62cm) and is made from leather I believe the reason it's called a mark is to "mark" the place where the player caught the ball. Also the "mark of the year" is an award given to a single player after the regular season (so not including any finals games). A specific selection committee are the ones who selects who wins.

The method of play is one reason we have over 100,000 people at the MCG grand final...and big crowds at ordinary games. The players are superbly fit athletes and generally can take what's coming. PS The game has evolved since the 1860s..

It is a gutsy game, when you are running backwards with the flight of the ball, to mark or catch the ball, knowing you are just going to get cleaned up by your opponent.

Watching a full game at this level is an adrenaline rush you don't get with any other sport.

A Mark is just a catch as long as it has travelled more than 15 metres. You get rewarded when you mark the the ball otherwise you'd get clobbered. The point is you get to set up your next move, ie, move the ball forward towards goal.

They keep saying it could be Mark of the year because there's literally a voted award at the end of the season for the mark of the year

Mark of the year is a genuine award, nominations come through official channels, and then the winner is fan voted, same as goal of the year

Imagine big packs of high school boys with a couple outside kicking it to the square lol

I was a defender and have been knocked out twice from a knee to the back of the head. My opponent kicked both goals and I was stretchered of the ground. Back at training Wednesday

The exterior of the ball is made from Kangaroo leather - so it has a slick finish (i.e. there’s no synthetic grip to it). It becomes very slippery in the wet! It’s a similar size to a rugby ball, not quite as ‘fat’.

One thing about our game that I love very much is, the crowds are full of children, old women, whole families. And the crowds are completely mixed, fans of both sides sit together happily. Often you’ll see families wearing the jumpers or scarves of several different teams. I remember in Holland fans were segregated, almost all young men, and at one point only the home team’s fans could attend. And the Amsterdam and Rotterdam fans met up between the two cities for a brawl and one man was killed! I love our game. Hope you get here sometime and go to a few games. Also, you should barrack for (support) Essendon! The bombers, in red and black.

In the formative years of the game the player’s historically wore caps When they would catch the ball they would throw their cap on the ground to Mark the spot where they caught the ball so not to concede ground. This became known as a Mark.

The player who gets 'step laddered' will get a jolt, but injuries are rare. The player jumping up on them who is much more likely to get injured, when they hit the ground.

Young Jeremy Howe was something else in the air

Some players have made a career out of walking on their opponents shoulders & head. Not the easiest of surfaces to walk on.

They took all the best bits out every football code around the world & put them together and formed it into australian rules football.

Hey Rob. Clicked on this by mistake. Girlfriend popped in I’ve known since I was 4 yrs old. Wanted to show her a new one of yours after other vids we’ve watched and talked through. Well you had us both laughing as you were watching the catches and your dialogue was so funny and we were talking back to you, when u said This is so Australian , or mental etc lol. Her father was born in the Uk, left from South Hampton pier I think to Melbourne. Came to Aus in the 30s. He has/had the most Aussie accent I’ve ever heard. Our fathers were friends as teenagers, found each other again by accident as we lived across the road from each other in the 50s. We are 5 generations of friends 👍. She said , bye Rob when she left lol. Yes I talk as much as I write 😂. We had a great afternoon together, then you popped into my lounge on the big screen. She’s been to UK. Her and her husband wanted to walk across the Uk lol, as they walk heaps here, they ran out of holiday time . They Loved all the architecture and countryside in the UK. Had a great day with my buddy. Well enough of my usual waffling. ‘Ava good one’

1976 i was around 5 years old and AFL was my first ever sports i remember watching it Swans agents Hawthorn at my late grandparents place

There's mark of the year and goal of the year, whereby a few are selected each round and are voted on by the public and AFL officials and then from those weekly winners come finalists, from which mark and goal of the year medal are awarded. Winners are announced and receive their medals on Grand Final day. I believe they also win a $5000 or $10,000 prize for their junior club. A member of the public wins a cash prize too, drawn from those who have picked correctly the goal or mark of the year winner.

Played as kids, it's so fun and it could hurt but the fun outweighed most pains

Getting rid of the speccy mark in football would cause the biggest riot in Australian history. Players deal with it. And, yes, it hurts for the guy on the bottom and the guy landing on the ground. True warriors. No rolling around asking for a free kick.

I don't follow afl, but as I understand it, of all the football games, this would be closest to the round ball game. Points are only scored by kicking a ball between the posts, very much like a soccer goal. Also the rules dictate a fast, dynamic game with as few stops as possible. We refer to American football as coach chess. Very different.

mental, and loving it. also, the only time I have experienced a painful landing is if you land flat on your back. otherwise you can cushion your fall by freeing up one of your arms as you approach the ground, or falling onto another player hehe.

Remember, England shipped the toughest English folk to Australia. *winks*

The ball is vaguely similar to a Rugby Ball but probably more oval/less round-ish, slightly smaller, lighter but very dissimilar to a Gridiron ball.

Yes, it causes massive injuries. Sometimes career ending ones. But it's the coolest, most spectacular thing about our sport, so kids practice this stuff from the time they can walk and kick. As far as "do you expect it and does it hurt" goes? If the kick to you is weighted properly you run onto it and the other person won't have a chance to jump on you because he'll be running flat out to keep up with you (called a "lead" because obviously you are in front of him). It is when someone has no target, or kicks it badly over your head you have to stop and reach. And then you know it's coming.... ohhh yes. You can hear it, you can smell it, and you know it's gonna hurt with their knees or their boot stops in your back. But one of the most successful coaches of the modern era, Clarkson at Hawthorn Football Club, made it a mantra at the club to "Go when it's your turn". Take the hit for your team mates. No matter what it costs you, you play for the team and put your body on the line. For that mark, for that tackle, for that spoil. You sprint 80 metres (250 feet) for a lead that isn't taken, not once, not twice, but 40 times in a match until you throw up from the effort. And you never show the hurt, because that just gives an advantage to the other team. If you see the similarity to going over the top in the trenches of World War 1 you're starting to see the psychology of this sport. It's glory and pain, triumph and defeat that EPL players faking injuries and crying in their Lamborghini on the way home from a match will never comprehend.

If you take a mark but don't keep possession of the ball (i.e. drop it as at 5:24) , it doesn't count as a mark - though it's a bit of a judgment call how long you have to hold it before it's regarded as "held" Apparently this one was regarded as ok. Probably the most common injury that puts players out of action is the to the cruciate ligaments of the knee.

Buy a Sherrin Footy, the official ball for the AFL, You only need a soccer ball pump with the same needle and pump it till its really firm for best results. Then go out and have some fun. I'm sure there are local footy clubs in the UK who can provide heaps of advice and if your keen, give the game a go, get yourself in the middle of it, just expect to be knocked of your feet in a tackle, would love to see try it and comment.

It does cause injuries but it doesn't matter which side. Many times a player has injured a team mate and it is just part of the game. My team Melbourne just had such an incident when one guy injured another key back man and we then lost three games in a row because of his importance. There were other reasons but that was the main one. If the person jumps but they are not watching the ball it is a serious breach.

Hi Rob. not sure whether answers have been given yet - the ball is about a rugby ball size. but ends not as pointed.. plus not sticky at all and is very slippery when wet - the person taking the mark is more prone to injury than the person who ends up being "the ladder". arms are not all that often injured. most injuries (across the whole game) are leg related and most common are ACL and hamstrings - why is it called a mark? buggered if i know... perhaps it is to do with the point on the ground where the mark (catch) is taken. because the opposition player has to stand at the point when the kick is taken (they stand on the mark). but that is an assumption FYI, many people try and compare to rugby etc and as a result it seems confusing. however, rugby, american football, etc, the teams essentially face off with each other. whereas afl is more soccer like where opposing players tend to play side by side. even though the rules are totally different, tactically, it is very similar. in my opinion, when you watch a game, without thinking of the rules, but think soccer football tactics, it starts to make a little more sense. it is hard to see on a screen as opposed to being at a game, but structural setups off the ball is very interesting and again similar to football. jimbo

As an Aussie who played both soccer (goalkeeper) and Aussie rules I found it disgusting how soccer players trip over a blade of grass and roll around on the ground like they'd just been shot. I used to tell them to get up wimps. :-D.

the reason they say mark of the year is that they don't happen that often throughout the year and there is a prize for the best mark of the year, same as the goal of the year and the winner gets a free car for 12 months, and Cash prize for their Junior club

Mate I play this sport and is so fun, them taking a mark like that is really rare and hardly happened’s

The ball is called a Sheridan ...it's sightly smaller than a rugby ball, but englongated in width and rounged at the ends ... It's handmade out of leather and is either red for day game or yellow for a night game.. and no not sticky if anything in wet wether it can get slippery and can get water loved so heavier

When taking a mark to be awarded the player needs to catch the ball with both hands. Jumping gives a height advantage and the referee can see clearly who caught the ball.

some great marks in that video a lad from glasgow living in melbourn love this game

When I played at a very low level hahahahaha I was a defender and at my tallest I was 5”8 hahahha. You don’t know it’s happening until someone is sitting on your head ahahaha. It definitely hurts at the time! It make it all worth it when you get up there yourself. I’d happily get pole-axed 5 times, if I got to do it once myself

If you use someone as a spring board, and mis-time it and drop the ball: The person you used gets a free kick. But if you MARK it, to bad for the sap. The violence in soccer is in the crowd - Because there is no gladiator war on field. And a football is hard as a rock!

The injuries most players seem to sustain are knee injuries. Specifically anterior cruciate ligament.

on your queries about injuries Arm injuries aren't overly common, in fact there's really hardly ever any, maybe a broken bone in the hand, or a dislocated shoulder but almost never anything in the middle common injuries are head injuries (which is the big unfortunate one) and the most common would probably be knee injuries, like, I'm pretty sure there's more ACL injuries in AFL than any other sport, which is down to the 360 degree nature of the game, you could be tackled by any player in any direction at any moment when you have the ball, so the knee tends to take a lot of stress

The term "mark" represents marking the spot where they catch the ball, the term actually comes from Rugby. The ball is slightly bigger than a NFL ball but not as pointy, roughly same size as Rugby Union ball, maybe a touch smaller. Rugby League balls are slightly fatter and slightly pointier. NFL balls are the most pointy and are designed to be thrown long distances. AFL balls are smooth, there's no grip like there is on Rugby and NFL balls, AFL players not allowed to wear gloves unless for a medical reason. Highly recommend you check out the some of the other "best of the decade" series Best of the Decade: 2010-2019 | Incredible Goals | AFL Best of the Decade: 2010-2019 | Brutal bumps and tackles | AFL

You don't want to be caught in front when it happens - that is for sure!

Yes , they are expecting it , which is why , when somebody takes a ride on your back for a mark , it's the height of embarrassment. They all train to take these marks , they have " Marking Bags " which are pieces of training equipment like a huge padded backpack that trainers wear so players can practice climbing on backs to catch the ball , my point is , everybody knows very well what can happen , so if it happens to you , well you just haven't been paying attention. Also , Marking the ball is hugely important because any Mark is automatically awarded a free kick . Well , it's the Marking players choice to take a free kick or to play on , but the free is awarded every time. There are a couple of competing stories as to why it's called a " mark " . I like the one that says it comes from an Indigenous word " mumarki " which means to catch . AFL is an English adaptation of an Indigenous game called " Marngrook " ( Wikipedia origins of the mark ) For history of origins of the game search " Thomas Wentworth Wills ". The ball is leather , about the same length as a rugby ball but narrower across the middle . No ( hahaha ) it's not sticky but players can use a special waxy cream on their hands for extra grip or they can wear gloves . Gloves became really popular about 10 or 15 years ago , not so much now.

We actually played a game through school called marking in the pack, basically a group at each end and it is kick to kick and everyone trie to take a hanger. If you get a specky taken on you it is more embarrassing than anything Also AFL is older than any other football league in the world and the games origins come from a game Aboriginals played

As many have said, we practice this stuff from very young & part of that is propping so our mates can jump on our back for some lift.. it's all great fun & gets those skills refined very early. As the bloke on the bottom of the "specky" you know you are going to cop them, regularly, but you are at far less risk of injury(with knees in the kidneys being the most common) than the guy that's about to hit the deck from a great height. Yes they do get injured, popping shoulders etc but usually just winded. The tackles & hits that come from nowhere hurt much, MUCH more & you can't prepare for those. Most of these marks have been Mark of the year contenders, hence the constant MOTY calls. The ball is almost a perfect cross between a rugby ball & an NFL ball, being a bit skinnier than the rugby ball but without the pointy ends like the NFL ball. We grow up wit it in our hands just like you guys grow up a football(soccer ball) in yours, it becomes an extension of us from a skills aspect very early & we can do stuff that blows most non Aussies away. You said it looks like a free for all.. it's not a great game for TV as you only see the play immediately around the ball.. to truly appreciate the game you have to see it live, for most people that's the point at which they truly understand wtf is actually going on. Enjoyed the vid man, keep up the great work.

If you insist on comparing our game to Soccer (or Rugby) you need to familiarise yourself with English football in the late 1840s and early 1850s (read "Tom Brown's Schooldays", for example) when Aussie Rules emerged as a means of keeping Australian Cricket players fit over the winter. As you will discover there wasn't much difference between what became Soccer and what became Rugby. In both games two teams lined up facing one another and tried to force the ball through the opponents, kicking as many of them as possible on the way. Wills who invented Aussie Rules in 1858 was an Australian who had been sent by his family to England to attend Rugby School, where he became captain of both football and cricket. On his return to Australia he looked at the various styles of football played in the English public schools, though mostly Rugby, and removed the dangerous and annoying bits to leave a fast, free-flowing game with very few stoppages. The first game under the first draft of the new rules was played between two Melbourne Public Schools in 1858 and Wills himself umpired it. It was played on a field adjoining the Melbourne Cricket Ground (which had been there for only 4 years at the time). The Football Association adopted its rules in 1862, or thereabouts, and the Rugby Football Union sometime in the early 1870s. Gaelic Football wasn't codified till the 1880s. The Melbourne Football Club, founded in 1858, is the oldest still-extant professional football club in any code in the world. It has played in the top tier of Aussie Rules without a break since it was founded. It was followed a few months later by Geelong in 1859, and a number of other clubs which still play, but in lesser competitions.

When you land you not feeling anything as the adrenaline is pumping hard. We are not made of glass. And not many arm injuries

The ball is smaller than a rugby ball and heavier, the shape is a bit different than the other, it's a more pointed shape. You see the players bouncing the ball on the run, that is a skill, the ball, because of it's shape can have an unpredictable bounce.

oh and the high marks do not happen all the time so when they do it is so good

Arm injuries are very rare, helps when you have lots of muscle on them

To have to remember Australians, in the best States, grow up with all this, so to us, this is the ordinary course of business.

Soccer, Rugby, Cricket, Aussie Rules and American Football were all played and had their rules developed at Rugby School. Tom Willis was cricket secretary at Rugby and thought a modified game would be good to keep cricketers fit during the winter, The grounds in Australia were large and rough so tackling was undesirable. It was referred to as Victorian Football so was not as accepted in New South Wales and Queensland. The ball is made by Sherrin and is similar to a League ball. Injuries are numerous and hilarious.

1:52 he grew up in my town

About 6 of those marks were from 1 guy - Jeremy Howe. The ball is slightly smaller than a rugby ball and bigger than an American football ball and it’s made of leather The crazy thing with Aussie rules is unlike American football there’s less grip, and they aren’t allowed to wear gloves that grip Want some crazy highlights of one player, Eddie betts is a magician, he’s featured in here a few times but he also kicks goals from the unlikeliest situations. Or watch buddy Franklin highlights, for brute strength highlights

they only get proper injurys from concussion and hyperextensions

No idea whats going on at all, but the commentary is amazing, like all Australian commentary. Who needs martin tyler?? get these guys in!!

I’ve watched bits of AFL over the years and one thing is certain. The players are madder than a box of frogs