John Murphy (Australian rules footballer)
Encyclopedia
John Murphy was a former Australian rules football
er who played in the Victorian Football League (now AFL
).
in 1967 after being recruited from Heidelberg
, and went on to set the record for consecutive games played from debut -158 matches. This record held until 2005 when surpassed by Jared Crouch
from Sydney.
Murphy was made captain of Fitzroy in 1973, a position he held until he left the club at the end of the 1977 season after 214 games and a good career playing across half-forward and in the midfield. His departure was due to internal disputes with the club over his comments over some players that he thought should have been discarded from the club.
In 1978, he moved to South Melbourne
playing 23 games in a season and a half. He again changed clubs late in the 1979 season, moving to North Melbourne
where he played his first ever finals match. He retired from the VFL in 1980 after injuries struck.
In 1981, Murphy moved to Tasmania to captain-coach the Ulverstone
in the North Western Football Union. He won the Wander Medal as the league's best and fairest.
Following his playing career, Murphy had two coaching stints in the VFA/VFL
. He coached Werribee
briefly from 1983 until 1985, without much success. Then, from 1993–1998, John Murphy was coach of the Box Hill Football Club
and is the Club's longest serving coach. He coached the Club to its first Division One grand final in the VFA
in 1994, in which Box Hill
was defeated by Sandringham by the narrow margin of 9 points. He received life membership of the Box Hill Football Club
in 1998.
Murphy currently works as the Dispute Settlement Officer in the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League.
inductee: 2006
VFL: 1967 - 1980 (games 246; goals 374; Brownlow votes 111).
NWFU: 1981 (Ulverstone)
Other
on 22 June 2006.
His son, Marc Murphy
, was the number one draft pick in the 2005 AFL Draft
. Marc considered a move to the Brisbane Lions
under the father-son rule
, as John played for Fitzroy, a club that merged with the Brisbane Bears
to form the Lions. However, he nominated for the National Draft instead, and was selected by Carlton
with the first overall selection.
After Marc's 100th game in 2010, Marc, John and John's father Leo Murphy
(who played 132 games for Hawthorn in the 1930s) became the only father-son-grandson combination in league history to each play 100 games.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er who played in the Victorian Football League (now AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
).
Playing career
Murphy debuted with the Fitzroy Football ClubFitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
in 1967 after being recruited from Heidelberg
Heidelberg Football Club
Heidelberg Football Club is an Australian rules football club in Heidelberg, Victoria, currently competing in the Northern Football League.-History:...
, and went on to set the record for consecutive games played from debut -158 matches. This record held until 2005 when surpassed by Jared Crouch
Jared Crouch
Jared Crouch is a South Australian former Australian football player with the Sydney Swans of the AFL, who is colloquially known as “Crouchie” to Swans fans and media....
from Sydney.
Murphy was made captain of Fitzroy in 1973, a position he held until he left the club at the end of the 1977 season after 214 games and a good career playing across half-forward and in the midfield. His departure was due to internal disputes with the club over his comments over some players that he thought should have been discarded from the club.
In 1978, he moved to South Melbourne
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
playing 23 games in a season and a half. He again changed clubs late in the 1979 season, moving to North Melbourne
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
where he played his first ever finals match. He retired from the VFL in 1980 after injuries struck.
In 1981, Murphy moved to Tasmania to captain-coach the Ulverstone
Ulverstone Robins Football Club
The Ulverstone Football Club, nicknamed the Robins, is an Australian rules football club based in Ulverstone, Tasmania, Australia. The club fields three teams in the Northern Tasmanian Football League and also fields two junior teams in the AFL Tasmania North West Competition.-History:*Home ground...
in the North Western Football Union. He won the Wander Medal as the league's best and fairest.
Following his playing career, Murphy had two coaching stints in the VFA/VFL
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
. He coached Werribee
Werribee Football Club
The Werribee Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club, based in Werribee, was formed in 1965 and currently plays in the Victorian Football League. Werribee was defeated by the Sandringham Football Club in the 2005 VFL Grand Final.-History:The Werribee Football Club...
briefly from 1983 until 1985, without much success. Then, from 1993–1998, John Murphy was coach of the Box Hill Football Club
Box Hill Hawks
Box Hill Hawks Football Club is an Australian rules football club playing in the Victorian Football League. It has an alliance with the Hawthorn Football Club which plays in the Australian Football League....
and is the Club's longest serving coach. He coached the Club to its first Division One grand final in the VFA
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
in 1994, in which Box Hill
Box Hill Hawks
Box Hill Hawks Football Club is an Australian rules football club playing in the Victorian Football League. It has an alliance with the Hawthorn Football Club which plays in the Australian Football League....
was defeated by Sandringham by the narrow margin of 9 points. He received life membership of the Box Hill Football Club
Box Hill Hawks
Box Hill Hawks Football Club is an Australian rules football club playing in the Victorian Football League. It has an alliance with the Hawthorn Football Club which plays in the Australian Football League....
in 1998.
Murphy currently works as the Dispute Settlement Officer in the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League.
Career highlights
Australian Football Hall of FameAustralian Football Hall of Fame
The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coaches and administrators. It was initially established...
inductee: 2006
VFL: 1967 - 1980 (games 246; goals 374; Brownlow votes 111).
- Fitzroy: 1967 to 1977 (214 games, 326 goals)
- Fitzroy Team of the Century.
- Fitzroy captain: 1973 to 1977.
- Fitzroy best and fairestBest and FairestBest and Fairest is the term commonly used in Australian sport to describe the player adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition while not receiving a suspension for misconduct or breaching the rules during that season.In the...
: 1968, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1977. - Fitzroy leading goal kicker: 1971, 1976.
- South Melbourne: 1978 to 1979 (23 games, 40 goals)
- South Melbourne best and fairest: 1978
- South Melbourne leading goal kicker: 1978
- North Melbourne: 1979 to 1980 (9 games, 9 goals)
NWFU: 1981 (Ulverstone)
- Wander Medal: 1981
- Ulverstone captain/coach: 1981
Other
- Victorian representative: 9 Interstate matchesInterstate matches in Australian rules footballAustralian rules football matches between teams representing Australian colonies/states and territories have been held since 1879. For most of the 20th century, the absence of a national club competition and international matches meant that football games between state representative teams were...
representing the Victorian Football League.
Post-football
When Fitzroy's official 'Team of the Century' was announced in 2002, he was named in the centre. Murphy was admitted to the Australian Football Hall of FameAustralian Football Hall of Fame
The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coaches and administrators. It was initially established...
on 22 June 2006.
His son, Marc Murphy
Marc Murphy
Marc Murphy is an Australian rules footballer, recruited at number one in the 2005 AFL Draft by the Carlton Football Club.-Early life and junior career:...
, was the number one draft pick in the 2005 AFL Draft
2005 AFL Draft
The 2005 AFL Draft was the 2005 instance of the AFL Draft, the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.The 2005 Draft consisted of a pre-season draft, a national draft, a trade period...
. Marc considered a move to the Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
under the father-son rule
Father-son rule
The father-son rule is a rule that allows clubs to select the sons of players who have made a major past contribution to the team in Australian rules football, most notably the Australian Football League...
, as John played for Fitzroy, a club that merged with the Brisbane Bears
Brisbane Bears
The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995...
to form the Lions. However, he nominated for the National Draft instead, and was selected by Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
with the first overall selection.
After Marc's 100th game in 2010, Marc, John and John's father Leo Murphy
Leo Murphy
Leo Murphy was an Australian rules footballer who played for Hawthorn in the VFL during the 1930s. He was the father of Fitzroy great John Murphy, and grandfather of Carlton's Marc Murphy; the trio is the only father-son-grandson combination in VFL/AFL history to have each played 100 games.Murphy...
(who played 132 games for Hawthorn in the 1930s) became the only father-son-grandson combination in league history to each play 100 games.