Collingwood high-flyer Jamie Elliott took one of the best marks of the year, but won’t be officially recognised for the effort.
Elliott ignited the Magpies with a fly for the ages in the third quarter of Saturday’s preliminary final against Brisbane.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Jamie Elliott’s spectacular mark.
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The veteran flew high over Brandon Starcevich to pull down the mark as he ended up sideways in mid-air.
“Goodness gracious me! In the goal square, in a time of need. Jamie Elliott! Did we expect anything different? This man is amazing,” Brian Taylor said in commentary.
Social media lit up with many fans quickly anointing it the mark of the year.
However, the mark won’t be eligible to win that award due to the AFL’s rules stipulating that only home and away matches count.
“It’s probably mark of the year that never will be, given it’s in the finals,” Hamish McLachlan said in commentary.
“How ridiculous that he can’t win mark of the year. Greg Swann, add it to the list,” Nick Riewoldt said on Channel 7 after the match.
The AFL revealed the three finalists for the award after the home and away season with Sam Darcy, Zac Banch and Buku Khamis in the running.
The winner will be announced on Brownlow Medal night.
Brisbane young gun Will Ashcroft might have also been in the mix for the goal of the year for his incredible soccer effort out of midair.
Not only are the players robbed of a potential place in the history books, they miss out on a $50,000 cash prize and two million Virgin Velocity points.
It was a similar story last year when Sydney superstar Isaac Heeney took a cracking mark in the Swans’ win over GWS.
“This is why you’ve got to have mark and goal of the year that stretches through the finals. It’s just nonsense,” Channel 7 commentator Matthew Richardson said at the time of Heeney’s mark.
“The season is not over until grand final day.”
Ironically, the Alex Jesaulenko Medal for mark of the year and Phil Manassa Medal for goal of the year after both named after players who produced their iconic moments in grand finals.
“Two years in a row the mark of the year has been taken in finals and is not eligible. Just kind of annoying when people go back to watch previous MOTYs that this one and Heeney’s last year are forgotten,” journalist Justin Edwards tweeted.
“Mark of the Year and he can’t win it,” journalist Mitchell Scott added.
“What they should do is not limit mark of the year and goal of the year to minor rounds only. What a stupid rule,” one fan added.
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