Younger brother helping St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall stay fit during COVID-19 break

The former Portland footballer has called on younger brother Ollie, who plays in the Hampden league, to help him maintain his training standards.

The pair is working on the family farm at Bolwarra - 10 minutes' drive from Portland - while St Kilda adheres to federal and state government restrictions to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

"He is not as tall as I am but he goes all right," Marshall told The Standard.

"He is pretty fit at the moment so he's keeping me on my toes which is nice.

"You need someone to train with while we've got this bit of a break so that we come back fit and healthy."

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Marshall, 24, said having the farm to retreat to during the hiatus was ideal.

"It is good being back home because we've got a lot more to do being on the farm," he said.

"In Melbourne some of the boys are pretty bored. A lot of them went back home but there's still a few who are down there whose family are interstate.

"They've been staying indoors watching Netflix all day - I am glad I am not doing that. I'd be so bored I reckon."

Marshall became a fan favourite at St Kilda last year, enjoying a breakout season.

He played 20 AFL games, bringing his career tally to 33, as an agile ruck-forward.

He played in the Saints' narrow round one loss to North Melbourne, collecting 12 disposals, before the AFL postponed the season until at least May 31.

Now the former GWV Rebels player is managing the disappointment of an extended break.

"Not knowing when we're going back is the hardest thing," he said.

"You've done all of the pre-season and it couldn't have come at a worse time really. I guess we have a mini pre-season now. You've still got to keep fit and keep your mind on footy.

"We're making sure when we come back we're right to play. We almost see it as a mini advantage that can propel us above some other teams in the comp.

"As long as we keep fit and healthy, hopefully we can bypass some teams if they back off. It is that one per cent boost that might give you an advantage over some other teams."

Marshall said he felt comfortable at AFL level after arriving at St Kilda via the rookie draft as a mature-age prospect in 2016.

"I was pretty lucky last year a spot opened up and I played some reasonable footy and was able to cement my spot in the ruck," he said.

"My focus in the off-season was to become fitter and stronger and I was able to do that. I was running better times than I was doing last pre-season and lifting heavier."

New coach Brett Ratten has had a positive impact on Marshall.

"He's been like one of the boys, mucking around in the change rooms playing cricket," he said.

"He's just really approachable as well, he gets around to all 48 players on the list."

Ratten wants Marshall to work in tandem with recruit Paddy Ryder who has crossed to the Saints from Port Adelaide.

Their aim is to tire the opposition ruckman and also contribute one or two goals a game.

"We might go on a long run and really test the other ruckman defending so we can push forward and one of us will just flip back into the ruck," Marshall said.

"As the game gets on in the last quarter is when you'd really notice it. We'll both be pretty fresh.

"It's been working really well and he's taught me a lot since he's come, particularly in the centre bounce which is one of the areas I struggled in last year."

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