43 Facts About Oleg Markov

Oleg Markov is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League.

Oleg Markov previously played 23 matches over five years with Richmond, after being drafted to the club in the third round of the 2015 AFL National Draft.

Oleg Markov made his AFL debut in round 16 of the 2016 season and in 2019 was a VFL premiership player while playing with Richmond's reserves side.

Oleg Markov moved with his family to Adelaide at the age of ten months.

Oleg Markov was particularly talented at the sport, placing fifth one year at the Australian All Schools championships.

Oleg Markov began playing football for the first time at age ten, picking up the sport in the playground of his Adelaide school.

Oleg Markov played his first junior football for Gepps Cross before moving to the North Adelaide Under 13s side.

In 2014 Oleg Markov played Under 18's football with the North Adelaide Football Club.

Oleg Markov's season was limited however by two significant collar-bone injuries.

Oleg Markov ultimately went undrafted in 2014 and instead returned to North Adelaide for the 2015 season.

Oleg Markov appeared in matches in the club's reserves and senior side.

Oleg Markov played for the South Australian side at 2015's National Under-18 championships, appearing in five matches.

Oleg Markov was drafted by Richmond with the club's second selection and 50th selection overall in the 2015 draft.

Oleg Markov made his AFL debut in round 16 of the 2016 season in a match against the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium.

Oleg Markov recorded 18 disposals and nine marks for the match.

Oleg Markov finished the season having played eight consecutive matches to close out the season and holding averages of 15.4 disposals and 6.3 marks per game.

Oleg Markov ranked ninth at the club for metres gained per match.

Oleg Markov remained in the club's senior side for the following two weeks, but was dropped after a six disposal game in the round 8 loss to Fremantle.

Oleg Markov returned to senior football for a single match in round 15, being omitted form the side the following week.

Oleg Markov had another two match streak in rounds 22 and 23, but was dropped from the club's qualifying final team to play the following week.

Oleg Markov's year did not end there however, as he played three matches in Richmond's VFL finals run.

Oleg Markov sustained yet another knee injury in that match however, this time suffering a torn meniscus that required surgery to repair.

Oleg Markov recorded 15 disposals in the match and repeated the effort with a further 15 in the club's knock-out semi-final loss to the Essendon reserves side the following week.

Oleg Markov finished the season having played 10 matches with the club's reserves side in the VFL but failed to play a match at AFL level.

An injury to fellow half-back Bachar Houli saw Oleg Markov called up to AFL the next week however, contributing eight and 20 disposals respectively over a two match stint at AFL level.

Oleg Markov would be dropped back to VFL level after those two matches, where he managed to play just one match before suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee.

Oleg Markov was shifted to a new role at that same time, playing as a small forward and kicking two goals in his first VFL match in the role.

Oleg Markov continued to play as a forward through the final five matches of the VFL home and away season, earning regular praise from head coach Craig McRae while kicking a total of eight goals.

Oleg Markov was quiet in a come-from-behind qualifying final win over the Essendon reserves in the first week of the finals, before kicking two last-quarter goals in a preliminary final victory over Port Melbourne a fortnight later.

Oleg Markov kicked one goal for the Richmond VFL side that defeated Williamstown the following week, as the club won its first reserves grade premiership since 1997.

Oleg Markov finished 2019 having played two matches at AFL level, along with winning a VFL premiership after 16 matches and 13 goals with the club's reserves side.

Oleg Markov was given another AFL opportunity in round 12, putting in 14 disposals and 371 metres gained in a win over Gold Coast that saw him retain his spot the following week.

Oleg Markov continued to play AFL level football for a further four matches, over which time he was praised by defensive line coach Justin Leppitsch for improving his defensive and spoiling abilities.

Oleg Markov played reserves matches over the weeks that followed, including into the club's AFL finals campaign.

Oleg Markov ultimately requested a trade to the Gold Coast six days after his club's Grand Final win and five days prior to the official commencement of the trade period.

Oleg Markov had played 23 matches over five years at Richmond.

Oleg Markov was traded to the Gold Coast Suns on the opening day of the 2020 trade period, accepting a two-year contract and moving in exchange for the Suns' 2021 third round draft selection.

Oleg Markov trained with Collingwood in the 2023 pre-season, in the hope of winning a place on Collingwood's rookie list via the Supplementary Selection Period.

However, Oleg Markov only trained a day with Carlton before Collingwood announced the signing of Oleg Markov, having an extra list spot opened up, following Charlie Dean being placed on the inactive list.

On 13 September 2023, after an impressive home and away season and solidifying his spot in the side's best 22, Collingwood announced that Oleg Markov had signed a new contract that would last until the end of the 2024 season.

Oleg Markov became a premiership player on 30 September 2023 in the 2023 AFL Grand Final.

In October 2024, Oleg Markov was delisted by Collingwood, with the club committing to select him via the 2025 AFL rookie draft.

Oleg Markov plays as a rebounding half back, utilising exceptional sprint speeds to set up offensive chains of possession.