“I CERTAINLY believe that I can still go for a few more years yet.”

Marc Murphy isn’t giving up just yet. His form at the back-end of 2019 was proof of what he has to offer.

Now, with the recent confirmed changes to the season, Murphy is adopting a “real positive outlook”.

While it could have been difficult to come to terms with the season for the veteran, Murphy is preferring to look at it with a glass-half-full perspective.

Namely, the change to 16-minute quarters, which was in effect for Round 1.

“I did notice [the game] was a lot shorter. I certainly felt a lot fresher and pulled up pretty well,” Murphy said.

“I’ve had a lot of weird injuries over the journey. I haven’t done calves or hamstrings or anything like that, so touch wood that continues.

“This could extend my career by a year or two.”

The 32-year-old is looking at his options post-football, having used the recent layoff to look into the property development space.

A “big believer” in setting up a life after football, Murphy encouraged his younger counterparts to look into their options post-playing career.

With the recent period making Murphy look closer into his other options, he said it was imperative that players don’t “put all of their eggs in one basket”.

“It’s a brutal industry. I think guys who can have some self worth outside of playing football will really enjoy that,” he said.

“We’ve got to try and encourage guys when they’re coming in at 18 or 19 to work hard while you’re at the football club and do as much as you can there, but then some study and some work experience outside of that.

“Some guys… play football and then have nothing at the end of it. It’ll set themselves up much better post-football to be able to do something than just play.”

However, while he’s looking at life beyond football, his focus remains firmly on it: namely, a return to pulling on the Navy Blue jumper.

“The next three weeks just can’t come quick enough.”