The Wiz - nobody beats him

1980s football was about big hair, tight shorts and big marks. Warwick Capper, bless him, was famous for all three. He was the poster boy for the Swans as they set about becoming part of the Sydney sporting scene and it helped no end that you could turn up to the SCG to watch 'The Wiz' stand on blokes' heads on a regular basis. This particular mark actually took place out at Waverley in the 1987 qualifying final against Hawthorn. It won him mark of the year, but Capper actually took many better 'speccies' than this one and without placing his hands in the back of his opponent (in this case Chris Langford) to get the leverage. But no matter how he was taking them, Warwick Capper always gave us a reason to come to the footy.

Hover your mouse to pause the gif and scroll forwards or backwards

Poppy's Capper copy

Now, let's be clear about this. Nobody comes to the football specifically to watch Paul Puopolo, save perhaps for his family. But he is a eminently watchable footballer, with his terrific defensive pressure, those powerful little legs that churn at a million miles an hour, and an ability to jag a goal at an important time. He kicked the sealer for the Hawks against Capper's old team at the MCG a few weeks back. He can also take a hanger. He took a beauty against Collingwood earlier in the year and surpassed that with this effort over Bernie Vince last Saturday. It certainly lifted the few brave souls left at the game out of their seats. But sadly, like Capper back in 1987, this was one shouldn't have been a mark, when judged to the true letter of the law. And certainly not, as one fool tweeted immediately afterwards, mark of the year.

This one also started with hands in the back and should have been a free kick to the Demon stepladder. Sorry Poppy, no mark of the year for you.

Hover your mouse to pause the gif and scroll forwards or backwards

More gif and go

• Breaking in the post
• Slippery and super-skilled
• If only the mark had stuck
• Start running and just don't stop
• When it's easier to just kick the goal
• Everybody was kung fu fighting
• No safety concerns: Brown or Riewoldt?
• You better, you better, you Betts
• Markings of a star: Jeremy Howe or Chad Wingard?
• Horror shows in the backline: Alex Rance or Gubby Allan
• Point of the century: the big Eagle or the big Docker
• Long-distance Sandi or Polly's cracker
• Cyril's steal or Wingard's spidey skills