Jonathon Marsh Biography

St Kilda delist Jonathon Marsh.

"We're really sad to see 'Marshy' go," Saints list boss James Gallagher said.

"Despite tough circumstances this year, which saw him regularly in and out of the team, Marshy was the first to congratulate his teammates after a win and also the first to get around them after a loss.

"The determination he exhibited to break back into the AFL system exemplifies the kind of person Jonathon is, and we truly hope he gets another go at this level."

Jonathon Marsh will complete a remarkable comeback to AFL when he plays his first game for St Kilda this week against GWS, almost three years since he last featured at the top level.

"Since I left the AFL, I wanted to get back here, so it's been a long two years," Marsh said.

Former Magpies defender Jonathon Marsh officially signs with St Kilda.

Marsh underwent a medical at Moorabbin on Wednesday before committing to terms as a ready-made replacement for Jake Carlisle.

Jonathon Marsh will return to Melbourne and line up for Richmond's VFL team in 2019 in another step towards restarting his AFL career.

The 23-year-old, who has spent the last two years with WAFL team East Fremantle after retiring from Collingwood at the end of 2016, missed out on a second AFL gig after he was overlooked last month's NAB AFL Draft.

Former Collingwood defender Jonathon Marsh says he is desperate for a return to the AFL, two years after quitting the game as he battled mental health issues.

The athletic and quick backman retired at the end of 2016 when his trade request to a West Australian club fell through with a year to run on his contract with the Pies.

However, after two seasons back with East Fremantle in the WAFL, the 23-year-old is searching for a second chance and will nominate for next month's NAB AFL Draft.

"I'm 110 per cent in. I'm fully committed. That's why I've been doing the work when nobody's watching because I'm so desperate for that second chance. I'm that keen for it that it's quite remarkable," Marsh said.

Marsh says the decision to retire was the right one at the time given his mental state.

"It wore me down and caught me off guard because I wasn't prepared for it and I didn't really manage it well. By the time [the mental health issue] really clicked into gear I was thinking 'I can't be here'," he said.

"I was actually quite scared about my wellbeing. I knew my support systems were back in Perth and that to get better I probably needed to be surrounded by family and friends.

"It wasn't a negative decision, I'm actually quite proud of it to be honest. I wouldn't change it."

Jonathon Marsh decides to retire after asking Collingwood to release him from his 2017 contract.

"Jonathon is a young player of promise and we respect his decision to step back from AFL football and to be closer to his support network back home," Magpies list manager Derek Hine said.

"He leaves with plenty of good will and friendships, and we wish him all the best."

Jonathon Marsh requests a trade back to his home state of Western Australia, stating a desire to be closer to family and friends.

Potential has been a word associated with Jonathon Marsh's career, but he is actively seeking to change that perception and establish himself as a hard-nosed defender in Collingwood's team.

"The word potential gets thrown around quite loosely but I actually took offence to it," Marsh said.

"I wanted to make sure that I wasn't one of those players that just fizzled out."

The turning point for Marsh came after his third VFL game in his first season at Collingwood in 2014. He had just played "another stinker" and was growing frustrated that the Magpies were persisting with him up forward.

Marsh, who stands 194cm, has never seen himself as a forward. Even when he was playing colts football in that position for East Fremantle in 2013, recruiters would ask him: 'Why aren't you marking the footy?' and 'Why aren't you playing your forward role like a forward?'

"I actually went to Craig McRae (then Collingwood development coach) and Dale Tapping (VFL coach) and nearly begged them to throw me into another position," Marsh said.

"Initially we had the conversation about grinding it out and I went away and told myself, 'I can get through this'.

"Then I came into the club later in the week and they said, 'Marshy we're going to chuck you down back'. They listened to me and understood my reasons and we've never really looked back."

Jonathon Marsh makes his AFL debut for Collingwood at the MCG with 10 disposals (3 kicks and 7 handballs) and a tackle in a 18-point win over Carlton.

After being touted as a potential first-round draftee, Jonathon Marsh believed he may have been overlooked before being selected by Collingwood with pick No.77.

"I was getting pretty nervous, actually, because it was starting to get into the late picks when my family and I got the call from Collingwood so, yeah, it's pretty exciting," Marsh said.

"I had my mum, dad, uncle, granddad, my girlfriend and her parents there as well.

"After the third round mum just looked at me and said, 'This is getting pretty insane, it's not looking too good,' but thank God Collingwood gave me the call up."

Marsh ran the second-fasted 20m sprint in the history of the Draft Combine in October, and will bring plenty of explosiveness to the Magpies.

"I see myself as a tall midfielder, even though they're saying I'm a half-forward," he said.

"I'm just pretty explosive with my speed and … I like to think I'm pretty exciting, but everyone's got their opinions. I'd never played forward before so I got moved into a centre half-forward role."