Following our exes...................

[Sedat]

Collingwood to meet with former Western Bulldog Robert Murphy over key off-field role

Jay Clark October 18, 2024 - 10:42AM

After the departures of Graham Wright and Brendan Bolton, Collingwood are on the look out for highly-credentialed replacements. An ex-Western Bulldogs star might be one of them.

Collingwood is set to meet with Western Bulldogs’ legend Robert Murphy about potentially joining the Magpies in a key off-field role.

Murphy, who captained Western Bulldogs amid a sparkling 312-game career, has returned to Victoria after spending three years at Fremantle in various roles including head of football and performance and leadership boss.

The Magpies are set to rejig their football department and have been speaking to highly-credentialed candidates about helping replace Graham Wright and Brendon Bolton as new head of football.

Collingwood missed out on Port’s Chris Davies and Brisbane’s Danny Daly, but are set to speak with Murphy, 42, next week.

The Magpies need to lock in a new right hand man for coach Craig McRae by the start of preseason next month.

Murphy was also considering a return to the footy media after a decorated stint on radio and as a newspaper columnist, but could be swayed to stay in club land in 2025.

Murphy is a popular and highly-respected figure in football for helping lead the Bulldogs from the bottom reaches of the ladder to the 2016 premiership.

He didn’t play in the 2016 Grand Final after suffering a torn ACL but was given Luke Beveridge’s premiership medallion.

Quite a bit of mayo on that assessment.

Good luck to him if he lands a gig at the filth.

[bulldogtragic]

Worth mentioning Stringer. His devaluation is staggering for a young AA.

Top pick to us.
Two mid range picks on to the Dons.
Pick 53, with some salary, on to the GWS.

Just staggering his fall. Are Essendon fans still gloating over what they paid. Or have they worked out they gave up the picks to Balta and TDK? To get Pick 53 after a handful of seasons. Dodoro wins again.

[The bulldog tragician]

Worth mentioning Stringer. His devaluation is staggering for a young AA.

Top pick to us.
Two mid range picks on to the Dons.
Pick 53, with some salary, on to the GWS.

Just staggering his fall. Are Essendon fans still gloating over what they paid. Or have they worked out they gave up the picks to Balta and TDK? To get Pick 53 after a handful of seasons. Dodoro wins again.

But he got them finals success…oh hang on…

[jeemak]

Quite a bit of mayo on that assessment.

Good luck to him if he lands a gig at the filth.

Of all the bylines on WOOF, and there are many, this one where you flog Murphy as overrated is one of my favourites.

[SonofScray]

Quite a bit of mayo on that assessment.

Good luck to him if he lands a gig at the filth.

Articles aligning everything to Brit-pop indie rock lyrics are great.

[Sedat]

Articles aligning everything to Brit-pop indie rock lyrics are great.

I give him props for naming his son Jarvis instead of the more obvious Noel, Liam or Damon. Although he probably should have given more consideration to Gaz - also would have won him some extra hipster cred points going further left of centre.

[mjp]

I give him props for naming his son Jarvis instead of the more obvious Noel, Liam or Damon. Although he probably should have given more consideration to Gaz - also would have won him some extra hipster cred points going further left of centre.

Could have gone with Graham.

[azabob]

Could have gone with Graham.

Extremely underrated songwriter. He wrote the soundtrack to a superb show called The End of the F***ing World

[GVGjr]

From Code Sports

New St Kilda recruit Jack Macrae says he wants to return to “the peak of my powers” in an inside midfield role at Moorabbin, adamant he is not a spent force at AFL level.

Macrae, 30, said there was no bad blood between him and Western Bulldogs despite finding it “really difficult” at times being dumped to the VFL and regularly made sub in 2024.

In his first interview since the trade for pick No. 45, Macrae said he was at peace with the Dogs’ decision to opt for “more speed and a different dynamic” in the midfield this year instead of throwing “the toys out of the cot”.

But the experience hasn’t shaken Macrae’s faith in his own ability, with the three-time All-Australian targeting an impactful return to the centre square at his new club.

“I know it would have been easier to cruise around at the Dogs and stay for the last few years, and there are no ill feelings there at all,” Macrae said.

“But there is definitely the fire in the belly and determination to get the absolute most out of the rest of my career.

“So, it wasn’t the easiest decision – to leave the club – but it was definitely the right one because I want to get back to the absolute peak of my powers of my football ability.

“I still feel like I have a lot to offer in that sense.”

Macrae said he had several conversations with new coach Ross Lyon post-season and was certain the club’s direction and game plan was “an exciting fit” for him.

In particular, the popular team member said he looked forward to teaching the next wave of Saints’ playmakers the tricks of the midfield trade.

“Just where they are at with their list, it’s obviously a young and exciting group,” he said.

“So they probably had a need for what I can bring with my strengths around the midfield side of things.

“The way the game is going it is such a strong transition-based game, it is contest-to-contest running.

“But also hopefully I can be a bit of a mentor with some of my experiences.

“I have played with some great players in a really strong midfield so I hope that can help grow others in that area.

“Their midfield really spiked late in the year so hopefully I can add to that. I feel like I have some really strong football still to play.”

Macrae, who helped lead the Bulldogs to the 2016 premiership in only his fourth season, will help replace Seb Ross and potentially Brad Crouch as he deals with a degenerative knee issue.

The running machine was eager to begin training next month after avoiding surgery every season across his 12 years at the top level.

And Macrae will play his 250th game in Round 1 after gathering seven touches as substitute in his last game for the Dogs in the elimination final thrashing from Hawthorn.

Regardless, Macrae said he will be forever grateful for his time at the Dogs, and was eager to maintain the right attitude when things got tough this year.
“It was hard, but the Bulldogs have got a strong midfield and then there was (Ryley) Sanders, Ed Richards coming through and (Harvey) Gallagher, a few players who offer a different dynamic to me,” he said.

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“So it was nothing personal. The conversations I had with ‘Bevo’ were always upfront and honest.

“When I went to the VFL a few times it was important to me to have a strong mindset and be a really good leader because it can be easier to throw the toys out of the cot.

“I really wanted to show I could get on with it and be a real pro in those areas and I feel like I did that.”

[Go_Dogs]

Good on him. Going to be so weird seeing Jacko at another club.

[Dry Rot]

Worth mentioning Stringer. His devaluation is staggering for a young AA.

Top pick to us.
Two mid range picks on to the Dons.
Pick 53, with some salary, on to the GWS.

Just staggering his fall. Are Essendon fans still gloating over what they paid. Or have they worked out they gave up the picks to Balta and TDK? To get Pick 53 after a handful of seasons. Dodoro wins again.

Jake Stringer is the Russian rouble of the AFL.

[SonofScray]

Jacko has shown his true colours there and we shouldn't be surprised. He is a class act, stoic and competitive.

[jeemak]

The only thing that will upset me, kind of, is if Jack finishes the preseason in ripping nick, super lean and covering the ground better. I've wanted him to do that for a few years.

Otherwise, still devastated he's not with us as I loved watching him play. Best of luck Jack.

[GVGjr]

New Kangaroo Caleb Daniel opens up on his exit

Caleb Daniel thought he was playing as well as ever when he was sent to the reserves at the Western Bulldogs. He reveals how he found himself on the outer and off to North Melbourne.

New North Melbourne half back Caleb Daniel says he lost the “trust” of the Western Bulldogs coaching staff but says the pain of those emotions will drive him to greater heights next season at Arden Street.



He was lauded by the Dogs for the way he kept his head high but speaking for the first time about his departure, he admitted his continued non-selection hurt.

“Obviously you’re always seeking to play AFL footy, and I was able to do that for probably nine years and do it relatively successfully,” he said.

“And then last year didn’t pan out my way, probably through form and a lack of trust from some of the coaching staff and some confidence issues in my own ability.

“So I think being able to come to a new club and have a fresh start, that’s pretty special to me. And it’s exciting.

“It’s always going to hurt if some people lose confidence in you, and as a proud person, you never want that to happen.

Daniel was paraded at North Melbourne on Monday as the club’s star recruit after the Roos handed over pick 25 for the All Australian in a trade period where they also picked up Luke Parker, Jack Darling and Jacob Konstanty.

His trade only went through in the final five minutes of the trade period, with Daniel’s phone coming in and out of reception as he was buying a Tokyo Giants baseball jumper while holidaying in Japan.

Daniel played eight VFL games last year and was the sub in seven AFL games, a shock result for a deputy vice captain who had finished fourth in the 2023 best-and-fairest.

“So it does drive you. It drove me throughout the year as well to keep my chin up and hold my head high and come to the footy club and still put in wholeheartedly into the program. So yeah, it does hurt, but it’s exciting to see the way that we’re able to go about it here and throughout this preseason. And I’m looking forward to that challenge.”

Daniel admits he isn’t sure why his fall from grace was so sudden after a strong pre-season at Whitten Oval leading into the 2024 season.

Jack Macrae’s hamstring injury gave Beveridge an excuse to change up his midfield mix but Daniel felt he was playing as well as ever despite being sidelined.

“(The summer) panned out just as I wanted. I was playing some decent intra-club football, I was running really well and covering the ground well. And they just went with a different mix.

“They wanted some speed off half back and they wanted a couple of young guys in the midfield. And that’s up to the Western Bulldogs to choose their team. And they went without me. And that’s fair enough as well. But I still feel like I have got a lot left to give. And I don’t think they were looking at it the same way.”

The 28-year-old will play a mix of midfield and half back under Alastair Clarkson, who has already urged him to bring his famed leadership and professionalism to Arden Street.

He is already looking forward to sharing a field with the helmeted Tristan Xerri, who shares a manager and a love of headgear with Daniel.

The Dogs’ hard-line stance on his trade meant he had to officially nominate the Roos as a trade partner but the deal still went down to the line with 2016 premiership defender Daniel waiting for confirmation.

“I was in Japan when the trade happened and I had bugger all service. I went to my girlfriend and said, you might have to let me know if it comes through on Instagram. But I ended up having reception at the time. I was buying a Tokyo Giants baseball jersey at the time and I got a phone call from my manager so I quickly had to rush out of there and answer the call. And he said you will be playing for the Kangaroos next year.

“It was really exciting to get that phone call. It was two hours behind so we were banking on it happening a little bit earlier but it came down to the last 10 minutes or so.”

[Axe Man]

Surely mobile phone service is not an issue in Japan of all countries?