With his father, Dmitri, having been a world champion pole vaulter, and his mother, Valentia, formerly a top-class decathlete, there was a fair chance Oleg Markov was going to excel at sport.
Early on, that sport seemed likely to be athletics, gymnastics or tennis.
But it was a bit of fun kicking a footy around with some mates in the schoolyard, when he about 11 years old, that triggered what has become a passion for the Belarus-born Markov, and ultimately led to him being selected by Richmond with its second pick (no. 50 overall) in this week’s 2015 AFL National Draft.
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“It started off playing marks-up at school . . . I used to jump on people’s backs for fun and noticed I could jump higher than anyone else,” Markov told ‘The Adelaide Advertiser’.
“I then watched (Brisbane’s) Jason Akermanis and (Melbourne’s) Jeff Farmer in one game and they were kicking goals from everywhere and taking hangers, and I fell in love with the sport then and there.”
Markov began playing competitive football in the under-12s at the Gepps Cross Rams and then joined SANFL club North Adelaide as a 15-year-old.
He worked his way through the ranks with the Roosters, eventually making his senior debut for the club late in the 2015 season.
With two senior appearances all-up, impressive form at reserve-grade level and throughout the under-18 National Championships for SA, followed by some eye-catching efforts at the Draft Combine, Markov catapulted himself right into draft calculations as a forward with elite fitness, excellent athleticism and a rapidly-improving skills set.
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And, it was Richmond who decided to invest in Markov’s X-factor playing style, much to the 19-year-old’s utter delight . . .
“It’s amazing, it really is like a speechless moment right now. I’m still soaking it in and it still hasn’t sunk in yet. The quicker it sinks in, the quicker we can move on and start cracking on some hard work in the pre-season,” he told SANFL Radio.
“We were at the pub (watching the draft), at ‘The Windmill’ with a few mates and a few family members as well.
“I remember everyone was sitting up on a chair and I was on the ground and, as soon as it (his name) got read out, I kind of laid down, started tearing up. It just erupted . . .
“I mean it’s your dream. I never really thought about it too much and just said, put your best foot forward and really leave no stone unturned. So, I guess that’s what I did this year . . . Hopefully, it’s starting to pay off and (I’ll) just keep working hard.”
