Mark Marriott, easily one of the best tap specialists in the Goulburn Valley League, racked up a triple digit stat line that may never have been seen in the league before.
During Benalla’s 16.13 (109) to 13.9 (87) win over Mooroopna, the hulking Saint amassed the highest ranking point total for an individual this season with a whopping 253.
That wasn’t the crazy part.
Sure, a 30-disposal (25 contested) performance with 16 clearances is no mean feat — but the first stat that pops off the page is hit-outs and Marriott was involved in 103 of them.
No, your eyes don’t deceive you: 103 hit-outs.
In a stoppage-heavy slog at Benalla Showgrounds, Marriott leapt for a ball-up more than 100 times, winning 24 to advantage against a Mooroopna side missing usual ruckman Jack Johnston, who was away on VFL duty with Port Melbourne.
To compare, Johnston notched a solid 212 ranking points a little more than a month ago against Euroa, grabbing himself 25 touches, seven marks, seven tackles and 57 hit-outs.
But when it comes to ruck craft, no-one is outjumping Marriott in the GVL this season.
Marriott ranks elite in a swathe of per-game averages, including clearances (6.9), contested possessions (14), ranking points (145.5) and, of course, hit-outs (54.1).
He leads the competition in the latter category, with Shepparton gun and reigning Morrison medallist Ash Holland trailing in second with an average of 51 hit-outs per game.
Marriott’s 253 ranking point total makes him the sixth player to break the double ton in 2025, but more remarkably, stats provider Premier Data lists Marriott’s monster ruck showing on Saturday as only the fourth time in its history that a player has notched more than 100 hit-outs in a single game.
That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for Marriott-kind.
