Herald Sun Articles

OldSchool

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Thread starter #1
There is a couple of Articles about the Bulldogs in the paper today.
One about Bob Murphy and his parents and this one:


WESTERN Bulldogs coach Peter Rohde is confident his team will be able to handle the physical brand of football dished out by premier Brisbane last weekend.
The Dogs withstood the Lions' ferocious attack to win a practice match by 18 points.

Rohde was buoyed by the performance, considering he wants to introduce a more physical style of game this season.
"Our younger, emerging players have got to work on the physical side of their game, as well as the attacking, skilful side," Rohde said yesterday after a training session at Whitten Oval.
"There's no doubt we've had some lighter players in the side during the past couple of years."

Rohde believes the Dogs have the bodies to adopt to the new style.
"I watched (Daniel) Giansiracusa standing next to Simon Black at the weekend, and, really, their physiques were the same," he said.
"Obviously Simon Black is a few years further down the track.
"But blokes like Daniel, Robert Murphy, (Patrick) Wiggins and (Wayde) Skipper are now getting physiques on them that at least make them competitive at senior level.

"It's an on-going process, and we've got to keep developing them as quickly as we can."

Skipper, 196cm and 85kg, is yet to play a senior game, but Rohde said the 20-year-old would be in contention for the opening-round match against Geelong.
"I'm not sure whether he'll play round one, but he's certainly in the mix for Round 1, and I'm pretty sure he'll play early on in the season at some stage," Rohde said.
"He's certainly got some athleticism and some height, the sort of things we're looking for.
"I was very pleased with his performance at the weekend. I thought he was very competitive and kicked an important goal at the end.
"He can play centre half-forward and centre half-back and he's not bad in the ruck, but he probably hasn't got the real height to be a genuine ruckman in today's footy.
"He's probably an inch or two short for that, so he's more of a back-up ruckman."

One player certain to play against Geelong is 190cm defender Scott Bassett, recruited from Norwood at the end of last season.
"He was stitched up by (Essendon's Matthew) Lloyd the week before, but other than that he had a solid pre-season," Rohde said.
"And even against Essendon, he went off Lloyd and did a good job in the second half.
"He'll certainly play round one and be a pretty handy player for us.
"I think he's going to be able to do some of the jobs Steven Kretiuk has done in the past to relieve Kretiuk to play on some of the smaller blokes."
 

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The Doctor

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#2
Originally posted by OldSchool

Skipper, 196cm and 85kg, is yet to play a senior game, but Rohde said the 20-year-old would be in contention for the opening-round match against Geelong.
"I'm not sure whether he'll play round one, but he's certainly in the mix for Round 1, and I'm pretty sure he'll play early on in the season at some stage," Rohde said.
"He's certainly got some athleticism and some height, the sort of things we're looking for.
"I was very pleased with his performance at the weekend. I thought he was very competitive and kicked an important goal at the end.
"He can play centre half-forward and centre half-back and he's not bad in the ruck, but he probably hasn't got the real height to be a genuine ruckman in today's footy.
"He's probably an inch or two short for that, so he's more of a back-up ruckman."

I hope Skipper does get picked for round 1. I look forward to watching his progress throughout the year.

Overall another good article about the Dogs with more common sense talk. The highlighting of younger players beefing and muscling up has been one we have argued here for an eternity. Support for Kritter to allow him to play on smaller players is another.

With only about 10 days to go I can't recall as smooth a pre-season 'in the media' than this one. Plenty of good and informative articles and some straight shooting from the coach. A refreshing change.

Bring on 2003!
 

OldSchool

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Re: Re: Herald Sun Articles

Originally posted by The Doctor
I hope Skipper does get picked for round 1. I look forward to watching his progress throughout the year.
Overall another good article about the Dogs with more common sense talk. The highlighting of younger players beefing and muscling up has been one we have argued here for an eternity. Support for Kritter to allow him to play on smaller players is another.
With only about 10 days to go I can't recall as smooth a pre-season 'in the media' than this one. Plenty of good and informative articles and some straight shooting from the coach. A refreshing change.

Bring on 2003!
I'll give Rohde credit, he has stuck to a common and consistent theme and yes it has been a smooth pre-season.
 

Templeton31

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#4
Re: Re: Herald Sun Articles

Originally posted by The Doctor

....<snip>.....With only about 10 days to go I can't recall as smooth a pre-season 'in the media' than this one. Plenty of good and informative articles and some straight shooting from the coach. A refreshing change.

You are tempting fate there Doc!!!!!!!!
 

SCRAY72

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#5
It has been a smooth pre season because the focus is now on the team and the players not Terry Wallace and David Smorgon.
The media articles have been positive and the teams last serious practice match,not second last, was a solid effort against quality opposition.
They are ready and the fact that Geelong creamed us 4 weeks ago could work in our favour with a little added incentive to get them back. Plus Rohde can focus on all Geelong's good players from that game and get his match ups right.
 
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#6
Great positive articles on the boys good to see us getting some positive articles for a change.Does anyone know if the Murph article is on the net because ive searched for it everywhere but i cant find it?Or is it a article that can only be read in the newspaper like the Granty article a few weeks ago_Oh and another question does anyone have the story on Tim Walsh that was in the age about a week ago because i wanted to read it but i cant find it anywhere.
 

jboyar

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#7
Holy behind Rob
19 March 2003 Herald Sun
By MARK STEVENS

BULLDOG Robert Murphy's dad used to be a priest. His mum was a nun.



Happy family: young Western Bulldog Robert Murphy at home in Berwick with mum Monica and dad John.
Picture: George Salpigtidis



All three are sitting around the family kitchen table in Berwick. There's only one way to start the interview: "Please explain?"

John Murphy opens the batting. There's a twinkle in his eye. It was love, simple as that.

"I wanted to be with Monica. She's a lovely lady," he said. "We developed this friendship. We were kind of pretty happy with the friendship, but we thought we could handle it.

"Then it became more difficult because we realised the friendship was moving towards love."

John and Monica first met in 1972. Both had spent almost 10 years serving God.

"I was working with young people, doing retreats, and Monica was doing the same kind of work," John said.

"We were doing a counselling course. Every week we'd travel out there together in the car. We were thrown together in a way; not of our own choosing."

Monica wanted out, anyway. She was preparing to leave the sisterhood - with or without John.

"I couldn't conform that well," she said. "I don't know whether I was a rebel, but I sort of wasn't in tune with the real strict rules."

For John, it was torture. He knew he would lose friends and colleagues if he stepped away. The backlash would be severe.

"It was a very torrid couple of years for me, trying to sort out what to do, where to go and how to handle it all," John said.

He contemplated heading for the Philippines to work and get away from it all. Finally, towards the end of '75, he left for the outback. It was decision time. "Someone mentioned they had a friend up in Alice Springs that was a building contractor," John said. "I thought 'I'll go up there, get away and work up in the desert for two or three months'.

"I was working with about 20 other guys 300kms out of Alice Springs. We were building some kind of US installation.

"I was shovelling sand and cement and doing a lot of thinking."

John made the call. Love won out.

"I came back and I was quite certain I wanted to be with Monica," he said. "I went to my boss. He knew Monica and he wasn't totally surprised.

"He was a little bit disappointed, I suppose. But he actually spent three days typing up the documents involved. He was terrific.

"It was tough. I think I might've lost a few colleagues and friends as a result of it. I kind of expected that. Then I had to tell friends and family. And with the Catholic culture then, that was a little bit daunting, too."

For Monica, breaking the news to her family would prove just as tough. But they were determined to tie the knot, and John and Monica married at St Augustine's in Bourke St.

Plenty of old colleagues were there, including John's former boss, Essendon-based Father Charlie O'Mahoney.

The couple settled in Alice Springs. They had a son, Ben, and a daughter, Bridget. Then came little Robbie - conceived in Alice and born in Ballarat.

He is now a rising AFL star, already being compared with Robbie Flower. Last October, he represented Australia in Ireland - at only 20.

The whole priest/nun thing has been around all Murphy's life. It was always big news when he was growing up in the small-town environment of Warragul.

"I've always tried to tap into it," he said. "I used to inquire and ask questions. I was always really interested in it and proud of them for their story.

"It always sparked interest back in Warragul. Even down at the footy club now, they ask questions.

"I'm quite happy to talk about it. It's great that mum and dad are now putting it all on paper."

You won't find Murphy at church on Sundays, any more. He used to be a regular, but gave up at 16, like so many other teens.

"I'm spiritual in certain ways, but maybe not so much religious any more," Murphy said. "In our house, we always had a fairly well-grounded knowledge of ourselves ... without sounding too ****y about it."

Monica chipped in: "We wanted them (our kids) to be free, not oppressed."

John and Monica work at St Francis Xavier College in Beaconsfield. Every weekend they're at the footy - whether it's real or for practice.

"I like watching Rob's style," Monica said. "I think it's exciting and different. He runs around the outside and he's stylish. And I like it."
 
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