Carlton’s Marc Murphy, the No.1 selection at last year’s NAB AFL Draft, will write a regular column for afl.com.au throughout 2006. In his first instalment, he writes of how he has settled in at Princes Park and of the adjustment to life as an AFL footballer.
It’s been two months since the draft and it’s definitely gone quickly. Training just about every day over that period except for Thursdays and Sundays, the routine is very familiar to me now – it’s up early and getting home at four or five in the afternoon. The main thing I found is that I was pretty tired after training especially in the first month, but now I’m starting to get used to it.
It was only when we started the body-on-body contact after Christmas that I really got a feel for just how big these guys really are – they look big and they hit hard. Over the last few sessions we’ve taken it up another step with some match practice. We had about 25 minutes today – it was sharp and there were some heavy tackling and, I have to admit, it was a bit of an eye-opener.
It was pretty full-on and I was stuffed by the end of it, being the first hit-out. The running that you do in that situation is very different from what you would on the training track. I went alright today – I got about five touches and, most important, I didn’t really stuff up so that was pretty handy. We’ve got our first proper intra-club match on the first day of our Community Camp at Newcastle next Monday so that will give me better idea of where I’m at.
I’m getting lots of feedback from “Libba” (assistant coach, Tony Liberatore) and (ruck coach) Gary Dempsey because they work closely with the midfielders on where to go. You can’t get much better than those two. I expected a lot of that stuff – the stoppages and centre work – to be technical, but guys like Nick Stevens and Barnaby French have been great in showing me how they go about it.
There have been so many adjustments to make and things to get used to at Carlton. I guess that at junior level I was used to being one of the better players at the Chargers and whenever I called for the ball I would get it. But here everyone wants the ball – they’re loud and there’s some strong personalities and it’s a battle sometimes to be heard and to stand out. I’m learning to work a lot harder in that respect out on the training track.
I found out early that there were two areas especially – running and the gym – where you can make a good impression; that’s where a lot of the guys find respect for you. If they see you working hard they know that you are dedicated to trying to get better.
I’ve definitely got a lot bigger and put on a lot more weight. I’m up to 78.5 at the moment and that’s about where I wanted to get to this season – I didn’t want to put on too much weight too early. The weight work has been not so much upper body but all over to get everything more powerful so I can hold my ground in the packs. That’s been pretty intense – there were four sessions a week before Christmas and now it’s three times a week as well as boxing.
We’ve been doing circuit stuff with the boxing, but in a month or so we’ll start sparring. They haven’t paired me up with anyone but someone who’s light and who doesn’t have long arms would suit me fine. Then again, even the little blokes around here are tough, like “Libba” … I’m not sure that I fancy hopping in the ring with him.
Naturally enough, I’ve fitted in best with the guys who started together – Josh Kennedy and I hang out a bit and also Ryan Jackson. There’s also the guys I played with at Vic Metro in 2004 – Jesse Smith and Eddie Betts – and there’s a few players at Carlton who came through the Chargers, Bret Thornton and Andrew Carrazzo. I had a pretty good idea about them well before I got here. Everyone’s young as well and that’s made it a lot easier. Brad Fisher and Kade Simpson have been great as well.
I played against Josh for Metro last year against WA at Optus Oval and we met up at Draft Camp and spent a bit of time together. Being from the west he and Paul Bower don’t know too many people over here so we have them over at our house a fair bit and they’ve stayed over a few times. I’m still at home with the family and I’ll stay there for a fair while, I reckon, so I don’t have to do any washing or cooking.
I’m at home with dad of course and I don’t reckon much has changed between us since I’ve been at Carlton. I may get a better idea when we start to play. In fact, I reckon when I get home tonight he will tell me something I have to work on. He came down today to have a look at the intra-club, took a bit of time off work for half-an-hour. He’s always been very supportive and giving me feedback. He doesn’t tell me what to do – he lets me prepare the way I want to. If he sees an area that he reckons I can improve he’ll let me know, but it’s always up to me if I want to take it up.
There’s no doubt that I see less of my old friends than I used to – footy’s taken over a bit. But they are moving on too – a lot of them are working now or going on to university soon. I’ve dedicated this year to football to get settled in, but next year I will definitely do something away from footy.
Growing up, summertime was all about cricket. That’s all changed now, of course, but I did manage to play in a Twenty/20 match last Sunday – it was a social day my brother organised. I got 25 from not too many balls and it was great fun to have a hit. I am missing it a fair bit – having a hit but not the fielding – but do I get along to watch my brothers play.
I went to the tennis during the Australian Open for the first time. I’d never been before and it’s not what I expected. I thought Rod Laver Arena would be bigger than what it was – it looks bigger on television. It was good to watch Maria Sharapova play and David Nalbandian was on after that. I went with (Carlton teammate) Jake Edwards and Beau Dowler from Hawthorn. Beau played at Oakleigh with me and in the Vic Metro side so we’re pretty good mates. Beau drove me there and drove me home so I’m feeling pretty lucky. Yeah, he’s had a couple of scrapes so I think I might do the driving next time.
There’s a few characters around the club and a few jokes have been played on me since I’ve been down here. All the new guys get the treatment some time and I guess it’s the same at every club. Ian Prendergast is the main offender and he’s got me a beauty a few times. He’s pretty good at setting you up for things that will happen and then a few of the older blokes jump in to back him up, but I reckon I’m on to him now. They’re just little pranks and it’s been pretty funny really.
At first it was pretty weird, supporters coming up and asking for your autograph – that had never happened to me before, but I do it as much as I can because the supporters keep footy going and it’s important. Just coming off the training track and stopping for a chat has been great because at the moment everyone’s been really supportive. But if I have a bad game during the year, well, the fans will let all of us know how they feel – but that’s their right and you’ve got to take the good with the bad.
The media and the promotional stuff has been pretty full on. I did a lot of interviews in those first weeks after the draft and it was a bit odd seeing myself in the paper, but I’m definitely more comfortable with that side of things. I really don’t have too many bad raps for the media because they haven’t said anything bad about me.
I guess the pace and the stakes will step up over the next few weeks as we get into the NAB Cup. I’m hoping to be there and to provide some insights in my next installment.
ARTICLE BY: AFL BIGPOND NETWORK
From: Carlton FC, 3 Feb 2006