The 29-year-old will become the 12th player to reach the milestone for the Bulldogs, and the second after Daniel Giansiracusa from the celebrated 1999 NAB AFL Draft class.
Lindsay Gilbee (196 games), Ryan Hargrave (189) and now-rookie Mitch Hahn (181) sit behind him on the list.
Murphy says the clash with Adelaide on Friday night - another team looking to arrest a slide and add to its tally of three wins for the season - is an opportunity for the Dogs to prove to everyone, and themselves, that their finals dream is still alive.
"It's been like this for the last few weeks it feels like, but certainly this is a huge game for us and we've been pretty disappointing up until now," he said on Thursday.
"This week is still a big game and you guys are all here, so you guys think we can still [make the finals].
"It's possible, anyway. We still think if we can get on a roll, we can trouble most sides.
"That's the nature of a footy club; no matter what happened the week before, when we run out up the race on Friday night we think we can win and we expect to win."
The Bulldogs have played off in three straight preliminary finals without breaking through for a crack at the big one.
Murphy said the expectations that surrounded this season had made the dip to 13th on the ladder, with wins over only the Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast and Richmond, even tougher to bear.
"Certainly early in my career we had some really lean times, but the expectation was pretty low," he said.
"So this year has been pretty disappointing up until now, though the nature of being a footballer and being in a club like this, you're pretty optimistic and there's a fair bit of footy to go."
Murphy didn't play a final until his ninth season at the Bulldogs. He missed the club's first finals campaign in six years - in 2006, when the Dogs got through to the semi finals only to lose to West Coast - after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in round nine against Collingwood.
He says that in his "more reflective moments" he can't help but think time is running out to add to the nine finals in which he has played.
However, optimism that the side can still turn things around this year keeps him going.
"You probably fear [that the window is closing], but there's too much to do and we've got too much on and there's too many games left to get too down in the mouth," he said.
"If I'm not doing everything I can to turn it around, then I may as well hang them up.
"This morale now is really good. We've had this group together for a long time and it's the nature of the beast that you go through up and downs.
"We're in a bit of a trough at the moment, but the guys are working hard and helping each other get through it."
Murphy said he looked forward to the opportunity to play in the milestone game and whatever the future held.
"Someone asked me today, what does 200 mean, and I said, tongue in cheek, it was about half way, so hopefully I've got a little bit of footy left," he said.
"I don't know about half way though."
