Not many people have concrete evidence of a life changing moment or event, but Rowan Marshall certainly does. 

The news broke last Thursday afternoon that Geelong and St Kilda had struck a deal, with the star ruckman departing Moorabbin after 10 years, his trade to the Cattery confirmed.

As the two clubs engaged in negotiations, Marshall was attempting to distract himself with another personal interest, in the early stages of a round at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club. 

After battling his way through the first five holes, the new Cat then reeled off two birdies and two pars in an impressive stretch of golf, drawing the attention of external media as the moment the news broke. 

Quizzed on whether the story was true or simply a coincidence, Marshall confirmed that it in fact was correct and reminisced about the moment the next chapter in his journey commenced.

"It was actually pretty spot on, which was funny," Marshall told Cats Media with a smile. 

"The first five holes, I was a bit nowhere and then we crossed the road at Royal Melbourne East, I was telling my mates that I wasn't sure it was going to get done.

"Then I got a message from my manager, saying 'call me.' I gave him a call on the tee box, then he said 'congratulations, you are now at Geelong.'"

"The weight was off the shoulders for a bit, I unleashed a few big drives and went on a bit of a stretch where I was hitting them pretty well. Then afterwards, had a couple of beers at the clubhouse with a couple of mates.

"It was such a great feeling, it is only just starting to sink in now."

Marshall officially became a Geelong footballer last Thursday, when a deal was processed between the Cats and Saints to bring the star ruckman down the highway. 

He brings an impressive resume as one of the competition's most dominant big men, playing 177 games with St Kilda and finishing on the podium in their best and fairest twice, while also making the All Australian squad in 2023. 

Having a big presence around stoppages, Marshall also excels at finding the football himself and can even push forward to hit the scoreboard, something that will certainly hold the Cats in good stead heading into 2027 and beyond. 

On his first day at GMHBA Stadium, Marshall spoke about what it means to become a part of the Geelong Football Club, with plenty of excitement and anticipation to get cracking in the pre-season. 

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"The news was obviously awesome, I am over the moon to finally get here," Marshall said. 

"I am looking forward to a fresh start, getting down here for the off-season and putting in a big load of work. Then I want to hit the ground running next year.

"I am really looking forward to playing with the team, I have obviously admired them from afar for a long time.

"It is a great club with a lot of success, so I am looking forward to getting down and being a part of it."

Geelong showed marked improvement in their clearance numbers throughout the 2026 season, spearheaded by the likes of Bailey Smith, Max Holmes and Tom Atkins. 

The emergence of Mitch Edwards was also a telling factor during the year, and the 21-year-old certainly has a bright future ahead of him in the Hoops. 

Marshall said he is excited by the prospect of playing in Geelong's star-studded midfield, while also being confident in what he and the Cats' rucks will be able to produce in 2027. 

"Yeah it is awesome, they are obviously superstars of the competition," Marshall said. 

"I am really looking forward to getting down here, getting to work with them in the midfield group.

"I think Mitch Edwards and Toby Conway are some great, developing rucks. We saw some of the stuff that Mitch did this year in particular, it is awesome.

"Keen to get to work with those two boys, as well as the rest of the mids."