Player Watch Nathan Murphy

Aug 17, 2018
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I'd like to see Murphy and Shaz both groomed for a wing role over the preseason and 1 of them usurp Mayne. Neither is overly pacey but I think the rest of their game would make them very handy on offensive transition and retaining the footy in our F50. The tank required the issue they'd need to work on.
Murphy is one of our better runners. His tank isn't too much of an issue and he is good overhead.
 

jackcass

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Murphy is one of our better runners. His tank isn't too much of an issue and he is good overhead.

Didn't realize he already had the tank. Yep, very good mark, great skills, brave.
 

soreplums

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Hoping Murphy develops into the player projected.

I’m excited by the fact that Hine was prepared to pull the trigger on him at pick 6.

Would love for him to have a big pre-season and line up in round 1.
 
Jul 25, 2008
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The slows on his pace are perplexing to me. We have an AFL sample size of 2 games one of which was interstate so few saw it live and the other was his debut.

We saw nothing of him in 2019 and I’m not prepared to make a judgment on what he’ll be like long term based on his first season of VFL footy after being a predominantly schoolboy footballer with a strong interest in cricket in his top age year.

His body shape will be vastly different come Rd 1 2020 from Rd 23 2018 so I’ll be holding off til then on his pace.
 

SchuPie

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Aug 16, 2009
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Hoping Murphy develops into the player projected.

I’m excited by the fact that Hine was prepared to pull the trigger on him at pick 6.

Would love for him to have a big pre-season and line up in round 1.

I know Eddie et al made sweeping statements re selecting Murphy at 6, but I think a telling bit of info from Hine during an interview when asked about taking Murphy at 6 said “he was definitely in the mix” but then alluded to just saying they thought he had scope - made me think they really really liked him and considered it but there were others there that were safer bets

That’s not to say he won’t be top 6 quality (or higher), IMO I just don’t think they would have taken him there, close, but I think they rated a couple others higher
 
Aug 17, 2018
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I know Eddie et al made sweeping statements re selecting Murphy at 6, but I think a telling bit of info from Hine during an interview when asked about taking Murphy at 6 said “he was definitely in the mix” but then alluded to just saying they thought he had scope - made me think they really really liked him and considered it but there were others there that were safer bets

That’s not to say he won’t be top 6 quality (or higher), IMO I just don’t think they would have taken him there, close, but I think they rated a couple others higher
He was invited to attend the Draft that year. Each club with a top 10 pick gets 2 nominations and I believe he was our second behind Stephenson. So he was pretty highly thought of by the Pies in that draft - inside the top 20.

He also was 8th placed in the 2km time trial at his Draft/Combine year, giving some colour on his fitness capacity to play a wing.
 
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SchuPie

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He was invited to attend the Draft that year. Each club with a top 10 pick gets 2 nominations and I believe he was our second behind Stephenson. So he was pretty highly thought of by the Pies in that draft.
Agree I think we really rated him

We’ll never know if Stevo was gone who they’d have taken I just don’t think it would have been Murphy - I would hope it would have been Naughton.

Let’s just hope he becomes the player the pies hoped for now he is on the list
 

partypie

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Nov 26, 2013
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Going back over the 2017 draft our selections were as follows:

National draft


Rookie draft


Plus the elevation of Mason Cox.

It's early days yet, but we look to have done pretty with the limited hand we had to work with.

The only question mark I have at this stage is our reluctance to take a punt on another raw (or flawed) rookie instead of putting the Ox onto the rookie list.

Some might question Appleby but when you look at the names that were selected it was a pretty thin rookie draft - Liam Baker is probably the only other player chosen I would have been happy with given a similar degree of hindsight.
 

jackcass

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Going back over the 2017 draft our selections were as follows:

National draft


Rookie draft


Plus the elevation of Mason Cox.

It's early days yet, but we look to have done pretty with the limited hand we had to work with.

The only question mark I have at this stage is our reluctance to take a punt on another raw (or flawed) rookie instead of putting the Ox onto the rookie list.

Some might question Appleby but when you look at the names that were selected it was a pretty thin rookie draft - Liam Baker is probably the only other player chosen I would have been happy with given a similar degree of hindsight.

Oxley was contracted unless I'm mistaken.
 

4tone

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Jun 12, 2012
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Spotted NM walking around in Lorne a couple weeks ago, as he walked past me I couldn't help noticing, he has skinnest legs I have ever seen on any human. Very strange for a professional athlete.
 

Jelly Bean

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Dec 12, 2010
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So where can he play then? Or do we delist and cut our loses.

I think his best position would be as an intercepting half back, but Howe currently has that position sewn up, and Scharenberg is probably the next to claim it if Howe is out of the side or used in a different role.

Murphy would be good at that role, but is a little down the queue at Collingwood in my view. He could be tried as a leading half forward (e.g. the role we are hoping WHE will play, although without having grabbed a hold of it yet), but haven't seen him in it
 
The slows on his pace are perplexing to me. We have an AFL sample size of 2 games one of which was interstate so few saw it live and the other was his debut.

We saw nothing of him in 2019 and I’m not prepared to make a judgment on what he’ll be like long term based on his first season of VFL footy after being a predominantly schoolboy footballer with a strong interest in cricket in his top age year.

His body shape will be vastly different come Rd 1 2020 from Rd 23 2018 so I’ll be holding off til then on his pace.
He tested slow at draft camp. Once we peg you, you're well.... pegged.

To me though pace on a footy field is as much about balance and agility as it is about tests of straight line running. Like you, I haven't seen enough to make a call.
 
Jul 25, 2008
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He tested slow at draft camp. Once we peg you, you're well.... pegged.

To me though pace on a footy field is as much about balance and agility as it is about tests of straight line running. Like you, I haven't seen enough to make a call.

That’s it is it? How odd. It’s akin to having a kids skills pegged coming out of the underage system...
 
May 27, 2008
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I'd like to see Murphy play wing in the VFL. He has the tank for it. Imagine the damage he could do floating back and then moving forward at his height and with his kicking and marking skills. He'd need to learn positioning in transition. I reckon there's an opportunity on wing that may not be there in defence.
 
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Sep 26, 2012
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I'd like to see Murphy play wing in the VFL. He has the tank for it. Imagine the damage he could do floating back and then moving forward at his height and with his kicking and marking skills. He'd need to learn positioning in transition. I reckon there's an opportunity on wing that may not be there in defence.
Just came here to say the same thing. We have a lot of defenders in the same mould, wonder if we could play him on a wing? His marking ability would give him an advantage when he goes forward. What is his speed like out of curiosity not that it was ever important for Sidebottom/Mayne/Phillips
 
May 27, 2008
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Just came here to say the same thing. We have a lot of defenders in the same mould, wonder if we could play him on a wing? His marking ability would give him an advantage when he goes forward. What is his speed like out of curiosity not that it was ever important for Sidebottom/Mayne/Phillips

It's supposed to be a weakness. I don't think Murphy is very quick. But that's just off reports. I haven't seen heaps of him live to judge. SchuPie or other VFL watchers how would you rate him for leg speed?
 

jackcass

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Oct 8, 2007
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It's supposed to be a weakness. I don't think Murphy is very quick. But that's just off reports. I haven't seen heaps of him live to judge. SchuPie or other VFL watchers how would you rate him for leg speed?

Be comparable to that Sidey-Mayne-Phillips grouping but reads the play well which can off set that to some degree.
 
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