The Elite Eleven: Modra makes the cut among the AFL's most amazing aerialists

They become the stuff of schoolyard legend. Theirs are the numbers adorning the backs of the fawning faithful. The true rockstars of our great game. The high flyers. It's part of the fabric of the code, is the hanger. There's nothing quite like the roar of a crowd when one of the men in the arena sits on the shoulders of another, and with velcro-like hands, plucks the Sherrin from the skies. Take a look at some of those who have forged a reputation for themselves as artists among the clouds. Honourable Mentions Despite missing out on the prestige of a place in this ranking, injured Collingwood star Jamie Elliott, retired Richmond champion Jack Riewoldt, and the beyond courageous Johnathan Brown are all worthy of a mention among the very best aerialists the game has seen. [caption id="attachment_151765" align="alignnone" width="2067"] MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 25: Jamie Elliott of the Magpies takes a spectacular mark over Ben McKay of the Bombers during the 2024 AFL Round 07 match between the Essendon Bombers and the Collingwood Magpies at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on April 25, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)[/caption] Billy Picken The Collingwood champion quickly earned cult hero status for his finals performances, and the screamers that characterised them. Picken was almost a weekly fixture of Seven's Mark of the Day segment, such was his knack for plucking them. A centre half-back, it didn't matter if he was playing front shoulder, back shoulder, drifting in as the spare or coming in from three deep - you knew Picken was coming down with the pill. Blessed with the gift of the gab, he was short odds to let his opponents know all about it in the moments immediately following, too. A victim of the infamous "Colliwobbles", perhaps no player could be as frustrated by the lack of premiership medallion adorning their mantle as Picken, such was his record on the big stage. May he rest in peace. Shaun Smith Shaun Smith crammed so many screamers into 109 games that it belies belief. The spring-heeled Canberran is undoubtedly best remembered for the airtime he managed in 1995, in standing on the shoulders of teammate Garry Lyon. The pluck was given Mark of the Year honours, and later, the distinction of Mark of the Century. Nic Naitanui Ah, "Nic Nat". An absolute specimen of an athlete, whose battles with injury undoubtedly robbed the competition of one of the great careers. That's not the say he didn't leave an indelible imprint on the game while we were beholden to his greatness. He perfected the pack mark with textbook form. Knees on shoulders, hands high and strong, and very rarely did he need a second, let alone third bite of the cherry. Clean clunks only, when the Fijian-flyer was at his best. A three-time All-Australian, two-time best and fairest and 2015 Mark of the Year recipient, we should collectively shudder to think what else this genetic freak could've achieved if his body held up. A special, special talent. [caption id="attachment_532" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Nic Naitanui of the West Coast Eagles flies for a mark during the 2015 AFL Round 09 match between the West Coast Eagles and the Geelong Cats at Domain Stadium, Perth on May 31, 2015. (Photo: Daniel Carson/AFL Media)[/caption] Russell "Robbo" Robertson Few took hangers with the frequency of Russell “Robbo” Robertson. His journey to the big time was truly unique. A home video of him taking a screamer at local level in Tasmania made it to air on the Footy Show's ‘Almost Footy Legends' segment. Melbourne recruiters were hooked, and placed him on the club's rookie list. He would reward that faith, leading the Demons' goalkicking four times in his career - one of just six men in the storied history of the club to achieve that feat. He was a Bluey Truscott Medallist as the club's best and fairest in 2003, but will most notably be remembered for giving Demons fans and neutrals alike reason to watch the side play in some seriously lean years for those of a red and blue persuasion. Michael "Disco" Roach A proud member of the storied lineage of Tasmanian forwards to represent Richmond, "Disco" was a hardly an instant success upon transversing the Bass Strait. Still, he stuck with it, under Royce Hart's tutelage, and would be rewarded, kicking 112 goals in the Tigers' 1980 premiership season, and 86 in their disappointing title defence - still enough for the inaugural Coleman Medal. But this list is about hangers, and he took one of the greatest ever in a match against Hawthorn in 1979. It was one of many that now makes for his marking montage, but none of them got close to the brilliance of the 1979 sit. We'll never know how good "Disco" really could have been, as Richmond cycled through their embarrassment of riches forward of the ball during his tenure. He split reps with Brian Taylor, David Cloke and Mark Jackson at different stages. Roach was team-first, always, often playing different positions to suit the team's needs, while his contemporaries received the plaudits for their goalkicking acumen. Brett "Birdman" Burton The mercurially talented Brett Burton was a joy to watch. Incredible hops, evidenced by often jumping all the way over his opponents, and freakish goal sense characterised his play. Burton took to the skies with absurd regularity, and endeared himself to fans in the process. A habitual forward, Burton was a natural footballer with a knack for finding the football when it was his responsibility. Six times in 177 career matches, the forward registered 30 or more disposals. A man made to play football, and one who always looked like he had fun doing so. Alex Jesaulenko I'll oblige. I'll say the line, but you really don't need me to. You said it in your head upon reading his name. "Jesaulenko, you beauty!" It's arguably the most famous piece of commentary the game has even produced, but it would be remiss of any footy fan to believe that the special mark that defined the 1970 Grand Final is the only one ever taken by Carlton great, the Austrian-born Alex Jesaulenko. He's a legend of the game, and his marking prowess is just one reason why. Brave to the point of reckless, tough as nails and sublimely skilled, the original "Jezza" had schoolkids re-enacting his hangers as best they could for years, in one of footy's true golden ages. I'm reliably informed that a great mark was simply referred to as a "Jezza" at that time. That's cultural significance. [caption id="attachment_14864" align="alignnone" width="1024"] MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Alex Jesaulenko of the Blues competes in the 1979 VFL Grand Final match between Carlton Blues and Collingwood Magpies at the MCG on September 29, 1979 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Getty Images)[/caption] Tony "Godra" Modra One of the names synonymous with the '90s, Tony Modra achieved cult hero status for both Adelaide and Fremantle for his ability to do the freakish things regularly, and his Hollywood looks. Modra frequently took to the skies, blonde locks flowing behind him, before cooly slotting the subsequent major. Twice an All-Australian, the 1997 Coleman Medallist, a six-time leading goalkicker across his two clubs, a Goal of the Year Winner, and, most pertinently, as far as this list is concerned, a three-time Mark of the Year Winner. A player that truly inspired the imagination. Best of luck in your recovery, "Mods". [caption id="attachment_178718" align="alignnone" width="1700"] 1998: Tony Modra of Adelaide jumps to markthe ball during the Round 20 AFL Football match against Geelong in Adelaide, Australia. Mandatory Credit: Hamish Blair /Allsport[/caption] Warwick "The Wiz" Capper "CAPPER!" A man whose exploits on the field are only matched by those off of it, Capper was known for a few things - a pristine mullet, a loud mouth, shorts so tight they must've affected his circulation, and the uncanny ability to regularly take screamers that would be the best in the montages of most other players. He would often get the coveted 'second lift', planting his shin in the back of an opponent and propelling himself even higher. His 1987 Mark of the Year against Hawthorn, in which he plucked the pill while almost perpendicular to the playing surface is remembered well by most for the ridiculous time he spent suspended in mid-air, and draped over the shoulders of his opponent, Chris Langford. Those who don't recall it, however, need not ask "The Wiz" about it - he'll likely tell you about it on sight - and I'm speaking from experience. Gary Ablett Snr. You've got to be a pretty special player for the general public to nickname you "God". You've got to be a REALLY special player for no one to bat an eye when that happens. That's how good the original Gary Ablett was. He curated a sublime showreel of instinctual marks and goals across 248 career games - 242 of which were spent in Geelong's hoops. One of just six players in the illustrious 1000 career goals club, Ablett was one of the game's best forwards for almost his whole career, notching 120+ goals for three consecutive seasons in the mid-1990s. The marks he took to put himself in these scoring positions were just as special as the finishes themselves. Geelong's Mark of the Century winner, twice the Mark of the Year winner, a best and fairest, three Coleman Medals, a Norm Smith Medal, a nod in the AFL's Team of the Century, and an enduring legacy. "Yablett", as he was known by legendary caller Rex Hunt, was a one of kind footballer, but he'll have to settle for silver in this ranking. [caption id="attachment_12177" align="alignnone" width="1024"] MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - 1996: Gary Ablett of the Cats in action during the round 12 AFL match between the Geelong Cats and the Fremantle Dockers held in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Sean Garnsworthy/Getty Images)[/caption] Jeremy "Howie" Howe There could only be one, and it had to be Jeremy Howe. He takes spectacular grabs with such a metronomic consistency that there's now a malaise, or at least a fatigue surrounding his grabs. He's re-written the record books for most Mark of the Round, and was so egregiously robbed of a second Mark of the Year gong that the voting system changed so that salty supporters of opposition clubs had less of a say in awarding honours to players from clubs they don't like - namely, Howe's Magpies. Now in his career's twilight, he's still doing it, plucking a sensational hanger in the dying embers of the Pies' victory over the Power on Saturday night. The game could do a lot worse than name the Mark of the Year award after this most frequent of high flyers. [caption id="attachment_13061" align="alignnone" width="801"] MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 12: Jeremy Howe of the Magpies marks the ball over Tom McDonald of the Demons during the 2017 AFL round 12 match between the Melbourne Demons and the Collingwood Magpies at Melbourne Cricket Ground on June 12, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)[/caption]

		P	W	L	PTS	%
1	FRE	14	13	1	52	144.4
2	SYD	14	12	2	48	143.7
3	HAW	14	9	4	38	113.5
4	GEEL	15	9	6	36	120.6
5	ADEL	14	9	5	36	113.2
6	MELB	15	9	6	36	104.2
7	WB	15	9	6	36	92.2
8	BL	14	8	6	32	108.4
9	GC	14	7	7	28	105.3
10	NMFC	14	7	7	28	90.7

The Elite Eleven: Modra makes the cut among the AFL’s most amazing aerialists

Few aspects of Australian rules football send the imagination spinning like a breathtaking hanger. Who are the greatest proponents of the “speccy”?

12. Honourable Mentions

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