Marc Murphy

Early life and junior career

Murphy attended Whitefriars College in Donvale. He played for Beverley Hills Junior Football Club and Doncaster Football Club, before playing TAC Cup football with the Oakleigh Chargers. He represented the victorious Vic Metro team at the 2005 AFL Under 18 Championships, winning the Larke Medal as the best player of the tournament.

As the son of John Murphy, a Hall-of-Famer and legend of the Fitzroy Football Club, Marc was eligible to be taken by the Brisbane Lions under the father-son rule. However he exercised his option to decline the offer and nominate for the 2005 AFL National draft. Carlton subsequently took him in the draft with the first overall draft pick, a priority pick.

2006

Murphy made his AFL debut in Round 1, 2006. His quality performance on debut earned him a nomination for the NAB AFL Rising Star Award.

Murphy impressed pundits in his first season, and he was an early favourite for the NAB AFL Rising Star Award. In July, Murphy sustained a season-ending shoulder injury; this effectively ended any chance he had of winning the Rising Star Award, however he was still voted by his peers the winner of the AFL Players Association Best First Year Player award. He led the Carlton Football Club in assists for the season, despite playing only twelve full games.

2007

Murphy was elevated to the eight-man leadership group for the 2007 season. In early 2007 Murphy replicated his good form of 2006, amassing 30 disposals against eventual premiers Geelong in Round 2. However, an injury to prime midfielder Nick Stevens after Round 3 saw Murphy attract the opposition's best taggers in most games. While his form remained solid, shaking the experienced taggers proved too big a challenge for the second year player and he finished outside the top 10 in the club's best and fairest.

2008

Murphy added considerable bulk to his frame during the 2007/08 offseason, highlighted in many preseason news articles. He was no longer in the leadership group, which was now reduced five players. Murphy benefitted significantly from the return of Nick Stevens and the recruitment of Chris Judd, the pair of whom now attracted the strongest taggers, and this gave him more freedom to run. A solid 32 touches against Brisbane in Round 8, then having a game breaking 33 touches against Port Adelaide in Round 11 with the Blues getting home by 12 points after trailing by as much as 38 points in the 3rd quarter. He played his 50th game in round 15 against the Saints. Murphy capped off a great 2008 season by coming second to Chris Judd in the John Nicholls Medal for the Carlton Best and Fairest, recording 11 votes in the Brownlow Medal.

Marc Murphy was selected for Australia in the International Rules series against Ireland. He was one of Australia's best in the first test, kicking 4 overs to assist a late-game comeback by Australia which fell one point short. He scored a goal in the second test by unintentionally tapping the ball into the net from crowded contest.

2009

Murphy continued to improve in the 2009 season, establishing himself as one of the elite midfielders in the AFL, and averaging 25.6 disposals per game. He became Carlton's most potent goal-scoring midfielder, setting himself a personal target of averaging a goal a game, and he achieved this with a total of 31 goals from his 23 matches. After becoming a damaging midfielder, he was selected in the All-Australian Squad of 40, but was not selected in the team, and polled 15 Brownlow Medal votes to finish equal 9th. He again finished second in the Best and Fairest award (John Nicholls Medal) behind his captain Chris Judd.

2010

Murphy played his 100th game in Round 21, 2010; in doing so, he, father John (275 games for Fitzroy, South Melbourne and North Melbourne), and grandfather Leo Murphy (132 games for Hawthorn) became the only father-son-grandson combination in league history to each play 100 games.

Murphy missed much of the 2010 pre-season due to hip surgery, and struggled through the first half of the year. However, his second half of the season was exemplary, polling best and fairest votes in every game after Round 14 and ultimately finishing third for the award.

2011

Murphy became one of the league's elite midfielders in 2011. He was named in the All-Australian team for the first time in his career, on the half-forward flank, and won his first John Nicholls Medal for best and fairest player at Carlton. He was also named as the AFL Coaches' Association Champion Player of the Year, and The Age' Player of the Year.

2012

Murphy started the year as strong as he finished 2011, becoming the favourite for the Brownlow Medal before a heavy collision with Patrick Dangerfield in round 8 where he sustained a shoulder injury. He returned in round 16, and from round 17 to 21 was named as the acting captain in the absence of Chris Judd.

2013

Marc was announced Captain of the Carlton Football Club after superstar Chris Judd stepping down.

2014

In 2014 Marc played a consistent season averaging 24 Disposals in 20 games.

2015

Marc celebrated his 200th game against the Hawthorn Football Club in round 17 2015. Although the blues were beaten convincingly, Marc had a match high 37 Disposals. Marc finished second in the blues Best and Fariest by a vote behind young gun Patrick Cripps.

2016

During the 2016 pre season Marc was heavily doubted to captain the blues again in 2016. New coach Brendon Bolton disarmed these rumours and appointed Marc to captain the club again for a 4th straight season. The 2016 campaign started well for Marc until he suffered a season ending ankle injury against Geelong in round 10.

2017

Marc bounced back from an injury filled year to produce one of his most impressive to date, averaging over 29 disposals for the second time in his career.

Personal life

In September 2015, Murphy proposed to longtime girlfriend, Model, actor and blogger Jessie Habermann. They were married in December 2016.

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