Why is Bob Murphy so loved and respected by all?

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Monopoly_Man said:
I stand by it. The bloke is a gun, had been at the same club for years, gotten so close to the holy grail only to fall short. Stood up when needed the most and found his best form. Did his ACL and subsequently missed one of the greatest finals runs you will ever see. Is widely acknowledged as the heart and soul of the club and everyone who comes out of there has nothing but praise for him. The Dogs then win the flag for the first time in 62 years and he unfortunately misses out. His coach, knowing how much he has put in to the club calls him up on stage and gives him a medal. If that isn't one of the best moments in sport I don't know what is.

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I'd agree that you're laying it on a bit thick there.

By any measurement, Matthew Boyd has had at least as good a career as Bob Murphy, and Dale Morris would be somewhere near the same range too (that's no disrespect to any of them, by the way). I'd say that Boyd and Morris could be considered just as much 'heart and soul of the Bulldogs' as Murphy. Yet if it had been Boyd or Morris who had done their knee at the start of the year and had been called up to celebrate the premiership with the rest of the team, rather than Murphy, it would have been little more than a footnote. Ok, part of it is because Murphy is the current captain (Matthew Primus and Stuart Maxfield - albeit having relinquished the captaincy midway through the season, due to personal issues - are fairly recent examples of club captains whose teams have won the flag with them on the sidelines).

I have to think that it was such a big story primarily because of Murphy's media persona. Otherwise I really don't see much difference between his story and Primus' in 2004, in particular. And most supporters would barely even remember now that Matthew Primus missed Port's premiership, or that he was actually the club captain that year, not Tredrea.
 

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Probably gets interns to pick out 'Rascal of the Week' footage and then passes it off as his own idea.
 
MC Extra Dollop said:
I'd agree that you're laying it on a bit thick there.

By any measurement, Matthew Boyd has had at least as good a career as Bob Murphy, and Dale Morris would be somewhere near the same range too (that's no disrespect to any of them, by the way). I'd say that Boyd and Morris could be considered just as much 'heart and soul of the Bulldogs' as Murphy. Yet if it had been Boyd or Morris who had done their knee at the start of the year and had been called up to celebrate the premiership with the rest of the team, rather than Murphy, it would have been little more than a footnote. Ok, part of it is because Murphy is the current captain (Matthew Primus and Stuart Maxfield - albeit having relinquished the captaincy midway through the season, due to personal issues - are fairly recent examples of club captains whose teams have won the flag with them on the sidelines).

I have to think that it was such a big story primarily because of Murphy's media persona. Otherwise I really don't see much difference between his story and Primus' in 2004, in particular. And most supporters would barely even remember now that Matthew Primus missed Port's premiership, or that he was actually the club captain that year, not Tredrea.
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To be fair, Port Adelaide weren't exactly on their knees less than 2 year prior, with the coach being sacked, captain walking, CEO quitting and with the club languishing on the bottom rungs of the ladder with the general consensus that if things continued this way without strong leadership, this club would fold.

At the end of 2014, I had severe doubts that my club were going to be able to survive this latest debacle. Then up stepped Murph who put his hand up to lead the club out of this mire, and together with Bevo dragged the whole club (including the supporter base) from the pit. Less than 12 months later, we played finals, he was AA Captain and we had renewed hope. Thats the story. And if people are upset about the publicity that brought upon Bob, well they can go get ****ed.
 
freddy mercury said:
So hes the ONLY player playing now who hasnt had those negatives in their footballing life?

Bloke got injured rd3 last year then proceeded to make the grand final win all about him. He didnt have to get up and hold the cup up, he didnt have to wear the medal around his neck. One of the most selfish things ive seen in football and nearly my entire life.
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Selfish is doing it pre mediatated and actually having the gall to change into a match day kit because you got suspended

terry-2012.jpg


For example this is a selfish w***er

Being the club captain and holding with the matchday captain is not selfish at all.
 
JeffDunne said:
The thread title is a large part of why some people don't like him.

People don't like being told what to think and there's hardly a reference to Bob in the media without being told you should love & respect him. That starts to grate very quickly. Same with the Bulldogs generally (even on Friday night it got obnoxious very quickly)

The GF thing was a little over the top but considering the Bulldogs recent and long term history it wasn't surprising they'd want to include & thank everyone that stuck by them. I'm sure we'd do the same. I was over the Bulldogs Bob hashtag PR campaign long before the GF. So I wasn't surprised.

My issue isn't with the Bulldogs and Bob though. Winners are grinners and they can celebrate however they like.

It's our moronic football media that rarely have an original thought and keep peddling the same shit week in week out.
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I'd agree a lot with this. He seemed like a decent player and person who was reasonably articulate but I was fairly neutral on. The media attention telling you whether to like or dislike certain players does start to grate over time though whether its Bob or Jobe or Ballytyne or whoever
 
JeffDunne said:
I'm still trying to get over a Bulldogs fan saying Bob "probably isn't as good a player" as Nick Riewoldt.

Now we have someone describing Bob being given his coach's medal as "one of the greatest moments in sport".

Wow.

The legend of Bob Murphy has certainly grown over the past 12 months.
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#gosaintas said:
Yep. That "one of the greatest moments in sport" comment is a cracker.
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Would have been interesting if Riewoldt did the proper job on his knee and saints won the flag.

Reckon they'd be falling over themselves to get him up on the stage.

Maybe get him wearing the opposition's colours too?
 
#gosaintas said:
It's the whole #heartandsoul #justsobrave circlejerk
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If by some mirical St Kilda won a flag and Richardson called an injured Roo onto the stage would you hate him?
 

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bresker said:
There must be thousands of footy players past & present who wished they were as mediocre as Bob Murphy.

Any player who plays 300 games isn't mediocre and unless the footy gods are utter utter campaigners he will do so this year.
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I agree with you that many players would have wished they played to 300. Thousands of ordinary Aussies would wish they could get the chance to just play once.

Perspective is a wonderful thing but unfortunately I rate skill and achievements higher than matches played and I dont include Murphy in the conversation when Im thinking of the games greats.
 
Super Hans said:
If by some mirical St Kilda won a flag and Richardson called an injured Roo onto the stage would you hate him?
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I'm sure Roo would have the self-awareness to not try and make it all about him.

Like most footballers in that situation would.
 
JeffDunne said:
I'm sure Roo would have the self-awareness to not try and make it all about him.

Like most footballers in that situation would.
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I guess we'll never know. Only image of Roo on GF day history will remember will be this:

cxa0PV7.jpg
 
Senor Ed said:
To be fair, Port Adelaide weren't exactly on their knees less than 2 year prior, with the coach being sacked, captain walking, CEO quitting and with the club languishing on the bottom rungs of the ladder with the general consensus that if things continued this way without strong leadership, this club would fold.

At the end of 2014, I had severe doubts that my club were going to be able to survive this latest debacle. Then up stepped Murph who put his hand up to lead the club out of this mire, and together with Bevo dragged the whole club (including the supporter base) from the pit. Less than 12 months later, we played finals, he was AA Captain and we had renewed hope. Thats the story. And if people are upset about the publicity that brought upon Bob, well they can go get ******.
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I don't have any issue with the publicity that Murphy gets. But with regards to the Dogs/Murphy's story, footy supporters have short memories. Neutrals would have been far more focused on it being the Bulldogs first grand final (let alone premiership) in over 50 years. They'd be racking their brains to try to remember back to the Griffen/McCartney exits and the basket case that the club appeared to be. Another Dogs CEO resigned halfway through 2016, so that hardly seems like a major indicator of an unfolding crisis.

Primus had been a big part of Fitzroy in its final years and was then captain of Port Adelaide when it had finished third, first and first on the ladder in consecutive years, without even a grand final appearance to show for it (in 2001-03 the Power went out in straight sets and then lost consecutive PFs, having been beaten at home in the qualifying final in 2002 and 2003). It's fair to say he knew something about shambolic clubs and heartbreaking losses.
 
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bresker said:
There must be thousands of footy players past & present who wished they were as mediocre as Bob Murphy.

Any player who plays 300 games isn't mediocre and unless the footy gods are utter utter campaigners he will do so this year.
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:thumbsu: That I agree with. If you make 300 AFL games, at the very least you've outlasted your enemies.
 
We bawl out (Bob)
Everybody loves Bob Murphy
Everywhere I go it's the same old story (Bob)
People of all nation, they love the Bullyman vibration (Bob)

Everybody loves Bob Murphy
Everywhere I go it's the same old story, (Bob)
People of all nation, they love the Bullyman vibration

Happy Anniversary to Bob Murphy
2017 he woulda be about 50
Spread peace and love internationally
Over many ocean an' across many sea

Traveling 'round the world, one ting that I see
Everybody know about Bob Murphy
An' if dem ever find some man pon deh moon
I'm sure they will know some Bob Murphy tune

We bawl out (Bob)
Everybody loves Bob Murphy
Everywhere I go it's the same old story, (Bob)
People of all nation, they love the Bullyman vibration
 
#gosaintas said:
An injured Roo wouldn't be such a flog to get on the stage and make it about him.
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He'd openly and publically defy the coach on the biggest stage of the AFL year?

That doesn't sound good at all.
 
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