Each week, three of the best goals of the round are selected as nominees. A panel of AFL selectors choose the winning
goal of the round. For the first time in 2006, the general public were able to vote for nominated goals via the AFL's website. The results of the public voting are combined with the panel's votes. Any one of the goals judged to be the best of the round are able to win the official Goal of the Year. At the conclusion of the AFL home and away season, the AFL Game Analysis Committee will select the best three goals from a selection of 30 (the 25 round winners, along with 5 other contenders as determined by AFL Media). The best three will be based on a 5/4/3/2/1 vote given by each member of the selection committee. Voting will open after the AFL home and away season for the AFL Goal of the Year and the overall winner will be selected by the AFL Game Analysis Committee (counted as 10 votes) and by public voting (counted as 1 vote). The winning player of the AFL Goal of the Year will be announced at the Brownlow Medal. Goal of the Year is generally awarded to a player who creates and scores a difficult goal in play; it has never been, and is unlikely to ever be, awarded to a goal kicked from a set shot. Historically, it has been the quality of the creation of the goal which determines the winner, rather than the difficulty of the shot itself. As such, simply kicking a goal from the boundary line will not guarantee a player Goal of the Year, but if they have roved the ball cleanly off a pack (like
Jason Akermanis in 2002) or won the ball by stealing or smothering it from an opponent (like
Peter Bosustow in 1981), then they will generally come into Goal of the Year calculations. Players are also often rewarded for orchestrating a long run down the field which ends with a big goal on the run: Daniel Kerr in 2003 and Michael McGuane in 1994 are memorable examples. Many of the best goals in the VFL/AFL were featured in a
VHS/
DVD named
Golden Goals. ==VFL/AFL==