200-centimetre plus ruckman Mark Marriott filling a void in Cobden's rebuild

The farm manager-to-be, who studies at Geelong agricultural college Marcus Oldham, is one of a limited supply of talls in the fledgling side.

Marriott, who landed at Cobden by chance, was unsure where his footy journey would turn before signing at Bomberland.

The former Murray Bushranger and Victoria Country tall - Marriott comfortably clears 200 centimetres - was spotted as someone who help fill Cobden's ailing ruck stocks.

With Toby Hawkins on the move to Western Australia, coach Adam Courtney was keen to bolster his ranks and Marriott, 21, fell into his lap.

"This is my first year back at footy for two years, I guess," Marriott told The Standard.

"I was working away (in 2019) and then there was obviously COVID (in 2020). Lachie Davis, at Marcus, he got onto me.

"I didn't really know where or if I was going to play footy to be honest. It's a good club and it's been good to get back to footy. It took me a bit to get the fitness back and get back running around again."

Marriott was instrumental as Cobden posted its first triumph of the season against an in-form Portland on the road two Saturdays ago.

He said the Bombers status as a "shorter side" meant he'd played majority of his time in the ruck.

"We are a leaner side with talls but we've managed to bring in a couple of other talls which has given me a bit of a chop out," Marriott said.

"It just gives you that little bit of a rest and keeps you that little bit fresher throughout the game.

"It just takes a little bit of game fitness back into your system to get going properly."

Marriott's fitness has been building through training at Cobden on Tuesday nights and training remotely in Geelong on Thursday.

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The ruckman is joined by several other Bombers, who are also studying at Marcus Oldham, and "five or six" other players who are based in Geelong for a remote session on Thursday evening.

"A few other boys from local clubs who travel back too also train with us," Marriott said.

"It's quite good as we're still getting a decent training in on a Thursday."

Cobden was scheduled to play Terang Mortlake at home this past Saturday before the state was plunged into a snap COVID lockdown to control a growing outbreak in Melbourne's north. The Bombers could play South Warrnambool this Saturday if the seven-day lockdown ends as planned on Thursday.

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