Former Bulldogs captain and soon-to-be Hall of Fame inductee Bob Murphy says he is still coming to terms with the news.
Murphy played 312 games across 18 seasons, and in just under three weeks will be inducted into the Footscray-Western Bulldogs Hall of Fame.
Dogs’ CEO Ameet Bains surprised Murphy with the news, which was filmed and uploaded to westernbulldogs.com.au this week.
“The video captures it pretty beautifully,” Murphy told SEN on Wednesday afternoon.
“Footballers are not comfortable with compliments – give us some barbs or take the mickey out of us and we’re quite comfortable, so when the compliments started (from Ameet Bains) I was like ‘I’m feeling a bit icky here, there’s a job offer coming here’.
“When he delivered the news, I was stunned. I still am a bit stunned.”
Despite replacing red, white and blue with purple – becoming Fremantle’s Head of Football Operations and Performance in 2021 - Murphy couldn’t have been more thankful to the Bulldogs, recognizing how much of an impact the Club has had on his life.
“The Bulldogs have been a massive part of my life. I joined them when I was a 17-year-old kid, you play for 18 years and you grow up there – become a husband, become a father, all of those things,” he said.
“It’s just really special. To be thought of as a Bulldogs player was all I wanted to be in my footy career. I’m just eternally grateful to the people and the place.
“I love the Bulldogs and will forever be a servant to that Club. I was the custodian of the jumper for a long period of my life, and then your life does kind of move on.
“When I look back on it, it’s almost like looking back on a different person.
“I love what I’m doing now and love being part of Fremantle - they’re just very different things.
“I actually doubted I could go (to another club) and feel something similar, but there’s nothing quite like when you’re a player out there on the ground.”
Another four inductees will be revealed at the Bulldogs Hall of Fame gala event next month, with two current Hall of Famers to be elevated to Legend status and two moments in the Club’s history to be celebrated.
“I was in awe of the guys I was playing with. Up in the footy club, there were these big banners of those who were in the Hall of Fame,” Murphy explained.
“It was Arthur Olliver, and John Schultz and Chris Grant – (these banners) literally looming over you.
“I’m just a fan of the game. I felt grateful just to be a part of the show.”
The official Footscray-Western Bulldogs Hall of Fame event will be held on Saturday 10 June.
2023 HALL OF FAME EVENT
Date: Saturday, June 10
Time: 6.30pm -11pm
Venue: Centrepiece at Melbourne Park
Ticket prices: Single ticket - $350, Table of 10 - $3000
Ticket includes: Three-course meal and beverage package, live entertainment, silent auction and raffle.
