Mark Mercuri

For the American composer, see Mark Mercury.

Mark Mercuri
Personal information
Date of birth (1974-02-21) 21 February 1974 (age 50)
Original team(s) Keilor Park
Debut Round 10, 23 May 1992, Essendon vs. Carlton, at Princes Park
Height 178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 77 kg (170 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1992–2004 Essendon 207 (242)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2004.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Mark Mercuri (born 21 February 1974) is a former professional Australian rules football player who played for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League.[1] He played in the 1993 premiership winning team which defeated Carlton and in the 2000 premiership team which defeated Melbourne. In the 1999 AFL season, Mercuri was one of the premier players of the competition,[1] finishing runner-up in the Brownlow Medal, and earning a lucrative and rarely heard-of 5-year contract.

Mercuri played his 200th AFL game in round three, 2004 against West Coast in the match best known for James Hird's match-winning goal which broke a 131–all deadlock with less than a minute remaining.[2] He retired following Essendon's 10-point semi-final defeat to Geelong at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

In 2005, there was talk of a comeback, with Mercuri contemplating nominating for the pre-season draft. This never eventuated.

In 2006 he played for Airport West in the Essendon District Football League.

  1. ^ a b Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2003). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (5th ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Crown Content. p. 494. ISBN 1-74095-032-1.
  2. ^ "Magnificent Mercuri". Essendon Football Club. 12 April 2004. Retrieved 3 December 2021.