Understanding the history of sport in the region is a constant influence on Kolora-Noorat defender Nick Marshall.
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The Victoria University Sport History PHD student, who will play in this weekend’s sudden-death semi-final against Timboon Demons, has always been a keen follower of history.
Through his exercise science and psychology undergraduate degree the Melbourne-based Marshall discovered what interested him the most.
“One of the subjects in that course was history of sport and it really captured my attention,” he said. “I pursued that through an honours degree and into a PHD.
“The next big question I usually get asked is ‘where to from here?’ and there are a two pathways I can choose. I can either go into academics to teach and lecture or I can branch off into museums, archiving or more researching.”
The 26-year-old said he was interested in the research side and that his current studies focused around his home in the south-west.
“My recent studying is focused on football in south-west Victoria,” the former Terang Mortlake player said.
“Initially I started off looking into the early establishment of the Hampden league but it has branched out to more broadly the south-west region during the inter-war period (1920s-1940s).
“It’s interesting in regards to what football meant to the community then and the role it played in community and vice-versa.
“Since I have returned down here my research has given me a better appreciation of rural communities compared to Melbourne.”
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