By JARROD POTTER
LITTLE LEGEND – OLIVIA MARSHAM
EARNING her rightful place in the pantheon of great thieves – stretching from Carmen Sandiego and Danny Ocean, all the way back to Tantalus in Grecian mythology – is Narre Warren’s Youth Girls footballer Olivia Marsham.
Olivia is a subtle extractor and does her best work under the packs.
She cases her marks, picks the opportune moment and bolts the other way once she’s successfully pocketed the footy.
It is one thing to be an expert tackler but Olivia’s pilfering makes her a valuable commodity through the Magpies’ midfield as her booming right foot offered the Magpies a fighting chance against Timbarra’s tall timber.
Her greatest prize – the crown jewel in her subtle chicanery – was booting a pair of last term goals to give Narre Warren’s scoreboard a much-needed boost.
It’s hard to be skilful in the freezing cold – as Sweeney Reserve felt more like an icebox than a football field – but Olivia has already showed she’s more than just a chip off the old block.
She’s a gun on the rise in the Youth Girls competition and definitely will be one of the standout Marshams in Narre’s history.
Thankfully she didn’t inherit her father’s “hair”, but she did pick up the handy skills that made Travis a useful operator throughout West Gippsland.
Who knows, maybe in the future we’ll only know the elder Marsham as Olivia’s dad as the younger Marsham’s skills continue to prominently put her name on the map.
How long have you been playing?
This is my first season.
Where do you like to line up on the field?
Middle.
What was the best thing you did in the match?
Kick goals and tackled Skye (Timbarra footballer).
What AFL team do you go for?
St Kilda.
Who is your favourite AFL player?
Josh Bruce.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
A footballer.
