{{Short description|American Australian rules football player}} {{Use Australian English|date=February 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}} {{Infobox AFL biography | name = Danielle Marshall | image = | nickname = | image_size = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|08|15|df=y}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | originalteam = Arizona Hawks (USAFL)/Essendon VFLW/Aberfeldie FC | draftpick = 2019 rookie signing | debutdate = Round 1, 2020 | debutteam = {{AFLW|WB}} | debutopponent = {{AFLW|StK}} | debutstadium = RSEA Park | height = 168 cm | weight = | position = Forward | years1 = 2020–2021 | club1 = {{AFLW|WB}} | games_goals1 = 11 (3) | years2 = 2022 (S7)–2023 | club2 = {{AFLW|Ess}} | games_goals2 = 12 (1) | games_goalstotal = 23 (4) | statsend = the 2023 season | nationalyears1 = 2020– | nationalteam1 = United States | nationalgames_goals1 = | careerhighlights = }}
'''Danielle Marshall''' (born 15 August 1991) is a former American Australian rules football player who played for the {{AFLW|WB}} and {{AFLW|Ess}} in the AFL Women's (AFLW) League. Marshall was the first American and first USA Freedom representative to play in the AFLW league, and the first player recruited to play professionally at AFL level from a club outside Australia.<ref>{{cite web|title=From Phoenix, Arizona: Meet the most unlikely member of the first kick, first goal club|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/aflw-2020-danielle-marshall-from-phoenix-arizona-joins-first-kick-first-goal-club-in-western-bulldogs-win-over-st-kilda/news-story/057c02951964f432dce8b162b357d45c|work=Fox Sports|access-date=16 June 2021|last1=Hope|first1=Shayne|date=10 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="podcast">[https://podtail.com/podcast/the-greatest-season-that-was-93-podcast/dani-marshall-the-first/ Dani Marshall: The First] 11 June 2020</ref>
==Early life== Marshall was born on 15 August 1991 in California and raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado.<ref name="Western Bulldogs - 26 - Danielle Marshall">{{cite web |title=26 - Danielle Marshall |url=https://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/players/2086/danielle-marshall |website=Western Bulldogs |accessdate=10 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="Colorado Springs">[https://www.abc15.com/sports/mesa-resident-becomes-1st-american-woman-to-sign-pro-contract-with-australian-football-league Mesa resident becomes 1st American woman to sign pro contract with Australian Football League] from ABC15 Arizona 11 July 2019</ref> She participated in many sports throughout her childhood, including soccer, basketball, volleyball, rugby union, ultimate frisbee and cross country running.<ref name="American Dream">[https://www.minuteswithmoose.com/post/danielle-marshall-the-american-dream Danielle Marshall - The American Dream] by Jayden J Bartlett. 18 March, 2020</ref> She had aspired to play American football as a free safety or punter, however her mother discouraged her from playing a contact sport, so she chose soccer. After a successful club and high school career, Marshall was recruited by the Colorado School of Mines on a soccer scholarship.<ref name="podcast" /> She played NCAA Division II tournament soccer for three years between 2009 and 2012.<ref name="American Dream" /><ref name="Makes History">[https://usafl.com/news/20190710/marshall-makes-history-signs-with-aflw-bulldogs Marshall Makes History, Signs with AFLW Bulldogs] by Brian Barrish for USAFL 10 July 2019</ref> Marshall turned down an offer by the Colorado Rapids Women to continue her studies.<ref name="podcast" /> During college she was an avid watcher of Australian Football League on ESPN, until the channel stopped broadcasting the sport in 2011.<ref name="podcast" /><ref name="American Dream" />
In 2015, Marshall moved to Phoenix, Arizona with her husband.<ref name="Colorado Springs" /> There she began to focus on ultimate (frisbee) and was voted as her team’s Most Valuable Player in 2017. Marshall attributes her ability in finding space, making leads, and marking to the sport.<ref name="podcast" />
In 2017, she joined the USAFL club Arizona Hawks along with her husband Ryan after being told about the club by her friend.<ref name="podcast" /><ref name="Makes History" /><ref name="The Age - 10 February 2020 - 'Indescribable': American Dani Marshall breaks AFLW ground">{{cite news |title='Indescribable': American Dani Marshall breaks AFLW ground |accessdate=10 February 2020 |work=The Age|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/indescribable-american-dani-marshall-breaks-aflw-ground-20200210-p53zak.html |publisher=Nine Entertainment Co. |date=10 February 2020}}</ref> She missed selection with the USA Freedom for the 2017 Australian Football International Cup after beginning to play the sport.
During the USAFL offseason in May 2018, she played rugby union with the Tempe Ninjas Women's Rugby Club in the Southern California Rugby Football Union on the wing where she was named Rookie of the Year.<ref name="American Dream" /><ref name="podcast" />
Three weeks later after a match between Denver and Arizona in Los Angeles, one of the Lady Bulldogs playing in a combined team, Sara Edwards Rohner, texted her asking if she wanted to play the game in Australia. American Australian Denver Bulldogs director of coaching James Waddell, and his visiting friend Australian cricket player manager Cam Richardson, who had shown an interest in recruiting the best female players for the Western Bulldogs' women's team, offered to host the two in Melbourne for a professional tryout.<ref name="podcast" /><ref>[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-06/american-aflw-hopeful-sara-edwards-rohner-denver-bulldogs/11081432 American AFLW hopeful Sara Edwards Rohner hopes to realise her Aussie rules dream] By James Bennett in Denver for ABC News 6 May 2019</ref>
At the 2018 USAFL National Championships, Marshall became the first first-year rookie to win the Paul Roos Medal for Best and Fairest in Division 2.<ref name="podcast" /><ref name="Makes History" /> She was named in the Freedom's 2020 Australian Football International Cup squad (the tournament was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic) and also for the 2021 postponed tournament that was later cancelled.<ref name="Makes History" /><ref>[https://www.usaflfreedom.com/players 2021 International Cup Selection Squad] from USAFLW</ref>
In early May 2018, she arrived in Melbourne in Australia to attempt a professional career. She trained with the Western Bulldogs but played suburban football at the Aberfeldie Football Club in the Essendon District Football League Women's competition.<ref name="Makes History" /> Former AFL player Shaun Smith recommended her to St Kilda FC and she was invited to the club. Other clubs to express interest included Carlton and Collingwood, however they did not offer her a contract. She did not want to wait for the AFLW Draft to make a commitment to move to Melbourne permanently.<ref name="podcast" /> The Western Bulldogs offered her a contract and she began playing in the Western Bulldogs VFLW team.<ref name="Makes History" /> Marshall played 10 games for the Western Bulldogs VFLW team in 2019.<ref name="Western Bulldogs - 26 - Danielle Marshall"/>
==AFLW career== Marshall was signed as a rookie by the Western Bulldogs in the 2019 AFLW draft at the mature age of 28. She played her first AFLW game on 9 February 2020 in a match against the St Kilda AFLW team.<ref name="The Age - 10 February 2020 - 'Indescribable': American Dani Marshall breaks AFLW ground" /> She joined the prestigious club when she scored a goal with her first kick.
Marshall was delisted by the Bulldogs on 16 June 2021 after playing just 5 games for the season.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bulldogs AFLW delist Marshall, lose Spark|url=https://worldfootynews.com/article.php/20210616111039689|date=16 June 2021|last1=Thompson|first1=Troy|access-date=16 June 2021|work=worldfootynews.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=25 Bulldogs locked in for AFLW 6.0|url=https://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/959491/25-bulldogs-locked-in-for-aflw-6-0|date=16 June 2021|access-date=16 June 2021|work=Western Bulldogs Media}}</ref>
She was relisted by AFLW expansion club Essendon Football Club through the 2022 AFL Women's draft. In her first game for her new club in 2022 season 7, she kicked a long range 45 metre goal and was named among the team's best.<ref>[https://www.womens.afl/match-centre/2022/4652/ess-v-haw Bombers turn it on late to sink Hawks in battle of expansion teams] from AFL Women's. 27 August 2022</ref>
Marshall retired from the AFLW at the end of 2023.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Marshall to hang up the boots|url=https://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/1478033/marshall-to-hang-up-the-boots|website=Essendon Football Club|location=Melbourne|date=15 December 2023|access-date=29 June 2025}}</ref>
==Post-AFL== Marshall was selected by the USAFL to represent the United States at the 2024 Trans-Atlantic Cup tournament, and the only AFLW player to participate.<ref>[https://central.rookieme.com/afl/2024/08/02/preview-afl-transatlantic-cup-2024/ PREVIEW | AFL Transatlantic Cup 2024] by Alyce Collett 2 August 2024</ref>
==Statistics== :''Statistics are correct to the end of the 2021 season''.<ref name="af">{{cite web|title=Danielle Marshall|url=https://australianfootball.com/players/player_season_detail/Danielle%2BMarshall/20901|work=Australian Football|access-date=16 June 2021}}</ref>
{{Australian rules football statistics legend}} {{AFLW player statistics start}} |- | scope=row | 2020 || {{AFLW|WB}} || 26 | 6 || 3 || 1 || 24 || 8 || 32 || 5 || 13 || 0.5 || 0.2 || 4.0 || 1.3 || 5.3 || 0.8 || 2.2 || 0 |- style=background:#EAEAEA | scope=row | 2021 || {{AFLW|WB}} || 26 | 5 || 0 || 2 || 13 || 9 || 22 || 5 || 14 || 0.0 || 0.4 || 2.6 || 1.8 || 4.4 || 1.0 || 2.8 || 0 |- class=sortbottom ! colspan=3 | Career ! 11 !! 3 !! 3 !! 37 !! 17 !! 54 !! 10 !! 27 !! 0.3 !! 0.3 !! 3.4 !! 1.5 !! 4.9 !! 0.9 !! 2.5 !! 0 |}
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{AustralianFootball|ref=Danielle%2BMarshall/20901}}
{{Inaugural Essendon AFL Women's team}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marshall, Danielle}} Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:Western Bulldogs (AFLW) players Category:American players of Australian rules football Category:Essendon Football Club (AFLW) players Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Australia Category:Sportspeople from Colorado Springs, Colorado