Goal of the Year (AFL)


The Goal of the Year is a competition for the best goal kicked in the Australian Football League during that season. It is run in conjunction with the Mark of the Year competition and is currently sponsored by Rebel Sport. The winner is awarded the Phil Manassa Medal. The concept of awards for the goal and mark of the year is thought to have been initiated in 1970, as an unofficial award given by the media to Alex Jesaulenko following his famous mark in that season's grand final. The official awards were first given in 2001. Eddie Betts has been awarded Goal of the Year on an unparalleled four occasions, the most of any player, and is the only player to win the award in consecutive seasons.

Selection process

Each week, three of the best goals of the round are selected as nominees. A panel of AFL selectors choose the winning goal of the round.
For the first time in 2006, the general public were able to vote for nominated goals via the AFL's website. The results of the public voting are combined with the panel's votes.
Any one of the goals judged to be the best of the round are able to win the official Goal of the Year.
At the conclusion of the AFL home and away season, the AFL Game Analysis Committee will select the best three goals from a selection of 30. The best three will be based on a 5/4/3/2/1 vote given by each member of the selection committee. Voting will open after the AFL home and away season for the AFL Goal of the Year and the overall winner will be selected by the AFL Game Analysis Committee and by public voting. The winning player of the AFL Goal of the Year will be announced at the Brownlow Medal.
Goal of the Year is generally awarded to a player who creates and scores a difficult goal in play; it has never been, and is unlikely to ever be, awarded to a goal kicked from a set shot. Historically, it has been the quality of the creation of the goal which determines the winner, rather than the difficulty of the shot itself. As such, simply kicking a goal from the boundary line will not guarantee a player Goal of the Year, but if they have roved the ball cleanly off a pack or won the ball by stealing or smothering it from an opponent, then they will generally come into Goal of the Year calculations. Players are also often rewarded for orchestrating a long run down the field which ends with a big goal on the run: Daniel Kerr in 2003 and Michael McGuane in 1994 are memorable examples.
Many of the best goals in the VFL/AFL were featured in a VHS/DVD named Golden Goals.

AFL Women's

SeasonWinnerTeamDescriptionVideo
2017Round 3 goal against Carlton at Thebarton Oval. Phillips takes a mark and bombs a long goal from outside the 50-metre arc.
2018Round 2 goal against Adelaide at Casey Fields. Newman collects the ball on the wing, takes three bounces into the forward pocket and kicks a 20-metre banana.
2019Round 2 goal against Brisbane at Fremantle Oval. Sharp collects the ball in the centre of the ground, takes two bounces and completes the shot from 40 metres out from goal.
2020Round 6 goal against Carlton at Traeger Park. Hore collects the ball in the middle of the ground, takes three bounces to reach inside 50, passes it off to a teammate, receives it back and then snaps on a sharp angle from 10 metres out.
2021Round 9 goal against at Casey Fields. Hodder was at the edge of the 50-metre arc, where she kicks it up to herself, and kicks a right foot drop punt from tight on the boundary.
2022 Round 1 goal against at Fremantle Oval. Antonio gathers 50 metres out on the boundary, evades an opponent, and kicks a goal from 30m out on the boundary off the outside of her boot.
2022 Round 10 goal against at Henson Park. At full pace, Bush tapped the ball on from wide out inside the 50-metre arc, then gathered and kicked a right foot snap with the outside of her boot, from just inside the boundary line approximately 30m from goal.
2023Round 10 goal against at Victoria Park. Greiser gathered the ball just in front of the left behind post and kicked a right foot snap with the outside of her boot, slotting the goal just before crossing the boundary line.
2024Week 6 goal against at Norwood Oval. Munyard received a handball on the boundary near the forward flank before outpacing several defenders to slot a check-side goal from the pocket.