AFL-Miracle Marks & Golden Goals (2002)

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    The two previously released and reviewed Australian Rules Football highlights discs, Miracle Marks and Golden Goals, are now available together as part of a two disc box set. The set retails for virtually the same price as the two separate discs so it's certainly quite good value to pick up both of them together. I have seen prices of around $36.95 for the box set compared with $32.95 for the individual discs.

    The box set consists of two Amaray cases inside a reasonably solid slip case that features a folding front face. Fold the front face open and there are simply two photos, both reproduced from the front covers of the two individual discs. These are photos of Richmond's Michael Roach taking a hanging speccy over a pack and Sydney's Tony Lockett kicking one of his many goals.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

AFL-Golden Goals (2000)

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General		Extras
Category	Sports	Main Menu Audio & Animation Notes-Leading Goalkickers - stats
Rating
Year Of Production	2000
Running Time	67:10 (Case: 75)
RSDL / Flipper	No/No	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Various
Studio Distributor	Aust. Football Video Visual Entertainment Group	Starring	Gary Ablett Tony Modra Jason Dunstall Tony Lockett Mick McGuane Phil Manassa Leigh Matthews Derek Kickett Peter Bosustow
Case	Amaray-Transparent-Secure Clip
RPI	$34.95	Music	None Given

    Australian Rules football. Some may consider it the greatest game on earth - those in the southern and western states would certainly agree, while those in NSW and Queensland probably still need some convincing, but I think they are slowly coming around. It is a game featuring high marks, spectacular goals, passionate fans, and many famous highlights.

    Golden Goals is one disc in a seemingly endless collection released by Visual Entertainment and you can well imagine what it contains. Over 60 minutes of some of the best goals over the last thirty years culled from the countless hours of television footage of Channel 7, the broadcaster of the game for more than 40 years. It is essentially just a highlights package, since even though there is an introduction of sorts by commentator Sandy Roberts to each section, he really provides just a brief thirty second intro. There is no analysis of the game, no interviews with the players, coaches, or media people, and no other behind-the-scenes footage. But don't let this put you off, because what it does contain is an hour of some of the best goals the game has ever seen.

    The goals are broken up into various categories such as The Long Bombs, The Bouncing Beauties, The Snaps, The Inspirational Efforts and for some reason the Goals of 1981 (must have been a spectacular year to get a chapter all on its own). Some of the goals are repeated across the categories, since some were obviously long, snaps, and inspirational all at the same time! - and maybe scored in 1981 for good measure.

    OK, I hear you say, but what are some of the highlights featured? Well, for starters there's the fabulous solo run from Collingwood's Phil Manassa during the 1977 Grand Final Replay against North Melbourne and the amazing run in 1994 by Mick McGuane for Collingwood where he collected the ball in the centre of the ground and proceeded to weave and duck around several Carlton players, while taking seven bounces before slamming it home. There are sensational snaps by the great Gary Ablett, Tony Modra and Leigh Matthews, and a couple of absolutely enormous long bombs by the likes of Darren Bennett and Sav Rocca. Basically think of any amazing goal in the last thirty years and it is likely to be included here.

    I initially thought it was strange that  Tony Lockett's after-the-siren effort in the 1996 Preliminary Final that put Sydney into the grand final at the expense of Essendon was absent. Then I remembered he only scored a behind and not a goal. Maybe that is going to be on another disc in the series called Ballistic Behinds or something similar!

Video

    Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, the transfer is not 16x9 enhanced.

    Naturally enough, the transfer is of television broadcast quality, mostly in colour and the source material dates from the mid 70s through to the late 1990s.

   While the footage is of mixed vintages, it is actually all of reasonable quality. The 70s and 80s highlights are certainly a bit fuzzier and not as sharp as the late 90s material, but the technological advances in broadcast camera equipment makes this perfectly understandable. Grain is present but not annoying and there is no issue with shadow detail at all.

    The colours are well rendered and there are no problems to contend with despite some of the material certainly looking its age.

    No MPEG artefacts are evident, and aside from some obvious analogue tape problems in the older footage, it is mostly clear of other imperfections.

    There are no subtitles, which is a shame as I would have liked to see how they would display Rex Hunt's famous saying - "Thank your mother for the rabbits"!

    This is a single layered disc only so there's no layer change to worry about.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    Seeing as the disc is comprised almost exclusively of television highlights, we get television quality audio. This is not to say it is bad. It does its job and that's all that can be expected.

    There is only one audio track available, this being an English Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack.

    Dialogue is clear and concise at all times, if perhaps a little harsh when the commentators get carried away with excitement and the roar of the crowd tries to drown them out.

    There is no surround or subwoofer use.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Main Menu Audio & Animation

Notes

    A couple of screens of static and very small text that list all the league's leading goalkickers (now awarded the Coleman Medal) since 1897. Unfortunately, this was obviously compiled by someone who has absolutely no regard for the game as there are many spelling mistakes. Some of the more amusing ones are:

1983 B Quinnan (Fitzroy) - his name was B Quinlan
1985 S Beasly (Footscray) - try S Beasley
1993 A Mora (Adelaide) - I think they mean T Modra
1997 T Modra (Adelide) - try Adelaide

    Considering this is an official AFL licensed product, the number of fundamental mistakes is bewildering. Maybe someone at AFL headquarters should have had a closer look.

    This disc is not available in Region 1.

    Golden Goals is a highlights package disc that achieves what it is designed to do. But it is just that, a series of highlights. Goal, after goal, after goal can become a little boring and repetitive after 60 minutes. On the other hand, it is great to have a collection of some of the most famous moments in VFL/AFL history on a disc to keep forever, and this is certainly one that I know I will fondly look at again over the next couple of decades.

    The video is average, but based on the source material is more than acceptable.

    The audio is workmanlike without being outstanding.

    The extra is limited and poorly executed, filled with simple spelling mistakes.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

AFL-Miracle Marks (2000)

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General		Extras
Category	Sports	Main Menu Audio & Animation
Rating
Year Of Production	2000
Running Time	77:24 (Case: 75)
RSDL / Flipper	No/No	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Various
Studio Distributor	Aust. Football Video Visual Entertainment Group	Starring	Alex Jesaulenko Gary Ablett Trevor Barker Tony Modra Michael Roach Tony Lockett
Case	Amaray-Opaque-Secure Clip
RPI	?	Music	None Given

    Australian Rules football is of course a sport unique to Australia, and perhaps the most unique aspect of the game is the famous speccy mark. There is nothing that excites the crowd as much as a big grab, with a high-leaping player soaring in the air above the opposition to mark the ball. Over the years many famous players have achieved near immortality for the deeds they have performed while soaring skyward. Countless kids have tried to emulate their heroes by flying high in the backyard by whatever means they could, trying to be just like Alex Jesaulenko, Trevor Barker, Warwick Capper, Tony Modra, or the legendary Gary Ablett.

    Like its sister disc Golden Goals, Miracle Marks contains over 70 minutes of some of the best and most spectacular marks seen over the last forty-odd years in VFL/AFL football. The footage has been culled from the countless hours of television footage of Channel 7, the broadcaster of the game for more than 40 years. It is essentially just a highlights package, since even though there is an introduction of sorts by commentator Sandy Roberts to each section, he really provides just a brief thirty second intro. There is no analysis of the game, no interviews with the players, coaches, or media people, and no other behind-the-scenes footage. While the whole thing does tend to feel a little cheaply done and get a little repetitive, it is still a worthy compilation for the true Aussie Rules fan. It contains some of the best marks the game has ever seen and some iconic moments that we will all remember forever.

    The program is broken into chapters which for some strange reason are shown chronologically in reverse starting from 1999. This program was made in 2000 when Channel 7 still retained the broadcast rights for the AFL and so chapter one is named Modern Marvels and features the players from around 1998 and 1999. We then get the marks from 1997 & 1996, The Mid 90s, 1992-1998, and a few 80s grabs in High Flying Memories. Adding to the package are some excerpts from the documentary series The Sensational 70s showing the best marks of that decade. About five minutes of black and white footage from the 1960s completes the program.

    All the big grabs of the last forty years are included, including Carlton's Alex Jesaulenko and his famous 1970 grand final leap and the amazing last round effort from Melbourne's Shaun Smith right in front of goal in a game against the Brisbane Bears in 1994. We even get a glimpse of the infamous mark by umpire Peter Carey during the Fremantle versus St Kilda match at Subiaco Oval in 1999.

    The newer material (from around 1996 onwards) is easier to watch as much of it is aided by the use of slow motion replays. A great number of the earlier marks are not replayed at all, so blink and you will miss them.

Video

    The video quality on offer here is virtually identical to the Golden Goals disc, with the main difference being the inclusion of a little more black and white footage from the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and the transfer is not 16x9 enhanced.

    Again the transfer is solely comprised of television broadcast quality footage, mostly in colour and ranging from the mid to late 1960s through to the late 1990s.

   While the footage is of mixed vintages, it is mostly of reasonable quality. The 70s and 80s highlights are certainly a bit fuzzier and not as sharp as the late 90s material, but the technological advances in broadcast camera equipment makes this perfectly understandable. The quality of the 1960s black and white footage is highly variable as one could well imagine. Dirt, grain and noise is evident throughout in various quantities but is to the level expected. Whatever process was used to film outside broadcasts back in those days leaves a slight fish-eye look to the footage which takes a little getting used to. The boundary fence and grandstand all seem to bend around as the camera pans quickly to keep up with the on-field action.

    The colours are well enough rendered given the quality of the source material and there are no problems to contend with despite some of it certainly looking its age.

    No MPEG artefacts are evident, and aside from plenty of obvious analogue tape problems in the older footage, a little dirt and noise, it is mostly clear of other imperfections.

    There are no subtitles which is a shame, as I would have liked to see how they would display the famous commentator exclamation " Gary Aaaaaableeeeeeeeeett!!!"

    This is a single layered disc only so there's no layer change to worry about.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    The audio is identical to that found on the Golden Goals disc. Seeing as the disc is comprised almost exclusively of television highlights, we get television quality audio. That is not to say it is bad. It does its job and that's all that can be expected.

    There is only one audio track available, that being an English Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack.

    Dialogue is clear and concise at all times, if perhaps a little harsh when the commentators get carried away with excitement and the roar of the crowd tries to drown them out.

    There is no surround or subwoofer use.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

    There are no real extras on this disc.

Main Menu Audio & Animation

    This disc is not available in Region 1.

    Miracle Marks is another in the highlights packages focussing on the deeds of Australian Rules footballers over the last 40 years. As a highlights package it achieves what it is designed to do. But like Golden Goals it does get a little repetitive. Mark, after mark, after mark, some very similar and some not all that speccy. It is nice to have a collection so complete if even it does have a bit of a budget feel to the whole thing.

    The video is average, but based on the source material is more than acceptable.

    The audio is workmanlike without being outstanding.

    There are no extras.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall