WHERE ARE THEY NOW
A skinny but lightning-fast wingman, Trent “Swampy” Marshall had a freakish ability to kick clutch goals. A three-time premiership player with South Barwon, Marshall talks to Alex Oates in the next instalment of Where Are They Now? AO: TM: I’m I’ll cut currently to the chase. up in Melbourne What are you and I up have to these been days? for a few years. I’m running a wholesale artisan pasta company called Take Me Home and we wholesale out to gourmet supermarkets and delis all around Victoria. AO: So how long has it been since you had a kick? TM: That would be the 2006 grand final at South Barwon, so that would be 13 years ago. I reckon I’ve still got it, but I can’t find the time to get out on the park. AO: Fair enough. You played in the 2001, ’05 and ’06 premierships and then you pulled the pin? TM: I should’ve gone a year or two more but, unfortunately, my business needed me and I had to pull the pin. I could’ve gone the three-peat, but I missed out. AO: How much longer could have you played on? Because South Barwon kept winning premierships until 2013. TM: I reckon I might have had a couple more (years) in me, so ’07 and ’08, but that would’ve been it. I was 32 or 33 when I finished up. So I wouldn't have gone through to 2013 . . . that would’ve been pushing the friendship. AO: You must look back on that dynasty fondly? TM: Definitely. I played with all my mates from juniors right through until I finished. I had the opportunity to go to a couple of different clubs, but I stuck true to the South Barwon boys and finished off a one-club man. AO: Have you still got a sign “Swampy’s Wing” down there at McDonald Reserve? TM: Well, I would hope so (laughs). It was up there for a few years, but I haven’t been there for a few years so I don’t know. It might be a bit rusty and worn out by now. AO: A few people I have spoken to say you owned that wing in your heyday? TM: Most definitely, I didn’t leave the wing. AO: It is a bit of a honour to have a wing in your name? TM: It was good, but I must admit it was my father and a few of his mates who did it. The club wasn’t behind it. It was a cheeky sign that was put up at night time, but I’ll take it. AO: Speaking to a few people at South, you had a freakish ability to kick clutch goals? TM: There would’ve been a couple, but there wouldn't have been too many times where I kicked a big goal. I can recall a couple of freakish ones, but I had my fair share of goals. AO: And a couple of cheeky high fives for the crowd? TM: Maybe a high five and a few other things. The opposition was always into me, which was fair enough. AO: That was the other thing I wanted to ask. I was reliably told you were a bloke your teammates loved but you were also a bloke the opposition hated? TM: Most definitely. I did have white-line fever. I was out there to play and to win, and what happens on the park stays on the park. The crowd . . . yes, they didn’t like me. AO: What did you do for the crowd not to like you? TM: Back in the day, you were allowed to get away with a few things in the packs. I may have thrown a few cheekies here and there. I loved my teammates, but the opposition hated me for some reason. That’s all right. AO: How many weeks suspension would you have copped? TM: I don’t know about weeks, but I went to the tribunal a few times and I got off most of the time. I might’ve got half a dozen weeks over my long career. AO: You were a skinny lad back in your playing days and you had a bit of pace? TM: Yeah, I could run a bit. I was a long distance runner and I could run up and down a lot. I wasn’t the most muscly guy, but I could run away from people. That was handy. AO: There you go. Is it also true that you didn’t get a lot of sleep pre-game? TM: This is true. I was in the hospitality industry and I was known to be working until 7-8 o’clock in the morning on a Saturday, getting a couple of hours sleep and rocking up to footy with a couple of Red Bulls under my belt. AO: Who were your toughest opponents? TM: Good question. I had a few tussles with “Stolky” (Jason Stolk) from Lara. I went to the tribunal a couple of times with him. (Frank) Fopiani was tough to play on and (Kent) Butcher from Grovedale was a good player.