Nathan Murphy

Nathan Murphy (born 15 December 1999) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

In his youth, Murphy had promising cricket and football careers. He played school cricket for Brighton Grammar, state cricket for Victoria, and national under-16 cricket for Australia. Murphy represented Brighton Grammar and the Sandringham Dragons in football. In July 2017, he decided to focus on football, and he was viewed as a top-30 prospect in the 2017 AFL national draft. Murphy was selected by Collingwood with pick 39 and made his AFL debut in round 22 of the 2018 AFL season against Port Adelaide.

Junior career

Cricket Murphy focused on cricket in his junior career, playing as a wicket-keeper and batsman. He played for East Sandringham at 14 and represented Brighton Grammar School. In March 2015, Murphy played state cricket for Victoria's under-15 team. He represented Australia's under-16 side against Pakistan in a twelve-match series, and he went on to play state cricket for Victoria's under-17 and under-19 teams.

Football Murphy played for South Metro's under-15 team and won player of the carnival in 2014. although said he was open to switching back. Murphy was listed with TAC Cup club Sandringham Dragons, averaging 16 disposals in eight games playing as a midfielder and a forward.

AFL career Murphy was selected by Collingwood with pick 39 in the 2017 national draft. Australian cricketer Shane Warne rang Collingwood president Eddie McGuire to commend the decision. Commenting on his selection, Murphy said, "To land at a club like Collingwood so that I can stay home with the family, it's the best possible outcome." Collingwood recruiting manager Derek Hine said the club considered selecting Murphy with pick 6 – their first selection, ultimately used to take 2018 AFL Rising Star Jaidyn Stephenson – and would have traded future picks to select him at the end of the first round. However, live pick trading was not available at the 2017 draft.

In 2018, Murphy played for Collingwood against West Coast in the inaugural AFLX pre-season tournament. He played as a defender and a forward for Collingwood's Victorian Football League (VFL) team. Murphy signed a one-year contract extension, keeping him at Collingwood until 2020. He had played every VFL game prior to signing the extension. Murphy made his AFL debut in the round 22 match against Port Adelaide at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He was selected after Sam Murray was dropped for personal reasons, and finished with 14 disposals. Coach Nathan Buckley cited Murphy's strong VFL form as a reason for his selection. He was dropped from the team before Collingwood's qualifying final.

Murphy played in Collingwood's 2023 premiership, but he was knocked out in the first quarter in a ground contest with Brisbane's Lincoln McCarthy and played no further part in the game. In April 2024, during the beginning of the 2024 AFL season, Murphy announced his retirement following advice from the medical concussion panel. Collingwood paid out the remainder of his 2024 and 2025 contract in full to alleviate any immediate financial concerns as well as offering him an internal non-playing role within the club.

Murphy stayed at Collingwood in an off-field role, turning out as a developmental coach at the club.

Personal life Murphy is the son of Deborah and Shaun. He has two sisters: Jessica and Carly. Murphy is close friends with cricketer Will Sutherland, who also had to choose between football and cricket careers as a teenager.

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