PORT ADELAIDE ruck Matilda Scholz has been awarded the 2024 Virgin Mark of the Year for her big grab in the Week 7 win over Collingwood.

Scholz’s mark saw her fly high above a pack that had formed deep inside Port Adelaide’s forward 50 in a mark that had the Alberton crowd on its feet.

Announced as the winner at the W Awards in Melbourne on Monday night, Scholz’s mark earned her $50,000 and two million Velocity Frequent Flyer Points.

While Scholz’s effort was not that week’s fan voted mark of the week, it was included by the All-Australian voting panel as a finalist alongside the mark taken by Hawthorn’s Mattea Breed in Week 9 and the Week 10 effort by Geelong’s Rachel Kearns.

“I’ve been really working on my contested marking all season but it hasn’t really come up until that moment, which was kind of cool,” Scholz smiled after receiving the award at the Crown Palladium, thanking teammates Maria Moloney and Gemma Houghton for kicking the ball to her and giving her space inside 50.

“(Gemma Houghton) has mentioned quite a few times she grounded her opponent out for me, so thanks for that (Gemma).”

It capped a big night for Scholz after the teenager was also named the Telstra AFLW Rising Star for 2024 making her the second Port Adelaide player in three seasons to take home the award.

Scholz said she would now have to think about what to do with the prize money.

“I still live with my parents so they might want to kick me out now, but I should probably save (the prize money),” she laughed.

Scholz’s teammate Gemma Houghton was a finalist in the NAB AFLW Goal of the Year for a goal in the same game, but was edged out by Adelaide’s Hannah Munyard (week 6).