Ebony Marinoff has been working as a deli assistant at her local supermarket, but jokes she can now quit her day job after winning the AFL Women’s Rising Star award.

The Adelaide teenager won the $20,000 award just days after her team, the Adelaide Crows, won the premiership.

The midfielder said she had been getting noticed while working part-time at the deli counter.

“I’m quitting Foodland! Nah, I’m going on a holiday to Port Lincoln at Easter and Dad was paying for my flights, but I guess I’m paying now,” she said.

“But in all seriousness, I’ll probably put it away in a term deposit account and hopefully save for a house.”

The idea that the winner of the men’s Rising Star would be paying his way working at a supermarket just goes to show how impressive their female counterparts have been when it comes to juggling work and football.

Marinoff was one of the standouts for the Crows in their premiership year, and she was named on the interchange of the All-Australian side.

In football-mad Adelaide, Marinoff is starting to be recognised regularly.

“I sometimes end up in the newspaper so being Foodland, the Advertiser [newspaper] does sit in the walkway,” she said.

“But I guess that’s all a part of it, building your profile at the service deli.”

Marinoff said her employer had been flexible in working around her football schedule and she did not know how the others in the league managed full-time jobs.

“Hats off to them for making it work,” she said.

“To cap off the first AFLW season with a premiership and to come here and win the Rising Star is just such an honour. There were so many girls who could have won this,” she said.

The 19-year-old credited her teammates for their help during the inaugural AFLW season. Photo: AAP

After finishing school last year, Marinoff said she had to sit down and think about her future career alongside football.

“To think I went into the draft as a 19-year-old, like many of the boys would, is just an incredible pathway and hopefully in five years’ time this league is full-time,” Marinoff said.

“I’m so grateful this league has happened.”

Marinoff singled out teammates Erin Phillips, who won the Best and Fairest, and Courtney Cramey as the two players who had the biggest influence on her breakout season.

But her biggest supporters are her mum and dad.

“Dad just loves the game, he follows me through it all,” she said.

“I’m very fortunate I’ve got two supportive parents.”

-ABC