Let it not be said that I hate sports, just because I never get quiz bowl questions on sports. One sport I particularly enjoy watching is Australian rules football. As an Aussie rules spectator, there is nothing more impressive than a spectacular mark. In a spectacular mark, a player trying to catch the ball will jump onto an opposing player’s back or shoulders in order to gain extra height. Here’s a compilation of spectacular marks.

For just how high-flying these maneuvers are, consider that the stepladder (the person being jumped on) is generally at least 6 feet tall, as is the player taking the mark, though both aren’t at their full height. Oh, also, not one but two different AFL players have chosen to amputate their left ring fingers because of having dislocated them too many times while playing Aussie rules, and another one had his left middle finger amputated instead of getting another round of surgery on that finger. If you want to hear more about that, come to practice, and I’ll tell you.

See you at practice,

Lev “Stepladder” Bernstein

Secretary, Quiz Bowl at Essendon, 1886-87