Rowan Marshall has one of the biggest smiles at St Kilda.
That cheery disposition is for good reason, with the now senior-listed Saint enjoying a superb year in his new rucking role and fast-tracking his way to cult status through his nickname, ‘The Prospect’.
But Marshall’s journey to the elite competition has been far from easy, with the challenges he has faced – and overcome – more than enough to wipe a smile away.
A product from Portland and a “late bloomer” in a footballing sense, Marshall only came to realise his potential in his final years of schooling when he was offered the chance to train in Hamilton – an hour’s drive away – with the Rebels.
Marshall and his mates would undertake the long journey straight after school for the twice-weekly training sessions, before the prospective forward made the cut and earned a spot on the list.
And of course, the training base in Ballarat wasn’t around the corner from Portland.
The youngster recalls leaving school early every second week, with his dad driving him to the bus stop in Warrnambool before Marshall would complete the commute with another two hours on the road.
It was a six-hour shuttle in total, with Ballarat’s miserable weather and bone-rattling cold – combined with the arduous travel – doing its best to sap the life out of him. But the dream was always alive.
A relocation to Ballarat the following year, his subsequent inclusion in the Vic Country team, invitation to the draft combine and interview processes with several clubs showed the pieces all falling into place.
Logically, the next step would be securing a spot on an AFL list.
But when the 2014 National Draft rolled around, Marshall wasn’t selected.
“It was tough because it was all such a whirlwind,” Marshall told the Saints Insider podcast.
That 48 months I’d never sort of experienced anything like that before. It was tough because there was half that chance I was going to get drafted, and then that chance that I wasn’t. - Rowan Marshall
And when most would throw in the towel, the club-less Marshall persevered.
Taking advice from recruiters to put on size and spending time between Sebastapol and the VFL’s North Ballarat over the next three years – all the while juggling his university degree at Federation University – the hundreds of hours with little reward finally began to bear fruit.
He knew there was an inkling in his final year at North Ballarat after talks with the Saints, but he knew he’d have to slog it out to give himself every possible opportunity to realise his ambition.
And in the 2017 Rookie Draft, Marshall’s name was finally called out.
“I saw my name pop up and it was one of the best feelings of my life,” Marshall said.
Now, Marshall is one of the most important cogs in the Saints’ evolving line-up, with the forward-turned-ruckman relishing time in the senior side.
And just like his entire junior career – and even VFL career – his parents continue to make the long trek down from Portland to watch every game he plays in the red, white and black.
Rowan Marshall celebrates a win with mum Jan
It certainly doesn’t go unnoticed in Marshall’s eyes.
“They’ve been a huge influence on my footy career,” Marshall said.
“It’s awesome to have someone that follows you that closely, no matter what. Even if you have a bad game, you always just come into the rooms afterwards and see your mum smiling, giving you a big hug and cheering you up.
“They’re always happy no matter what. Everything I do is pretty much for them and my two younger brothers as well.”
And after all he’s been through, that’s what makes Marshall smile most.
For the full interview with Rowan Marshall, listen to the latest episode of ‘Saints Insider’ below:
