THE privilege of being the first captain of some of Carlton’s young stars is something which Marc Murphy will hold dear when his career is done.
They’re the words from the man himself, who is bracing for his 250th game this Thursday night against Richmond.
Speaking to his own first captain in Anthony Koutoufides, Murphy said having the impact as skipper when they first arrived at the Club is something he’ll “hold dear to [his] heart”.
“I know it’s something I’ll look back on at the end of my career and know that I played with guys like Fisher and Walsh and ‘Crippa’,” Murphy said.
“You speak about young guys that you play with and the impact that you can have on those guys at the start of their careers.
“To see those guys become the footballers that I know they’ll become and having that senior influence over them as their captain to start off with… to be able to lead the Carlton Football Club is a huge honour.”
One person who would know exactly what Murphy is going through would be Koutoufides, who shares an interesting parallel with the milestone man.
Rewinding back 13 years ago, Koutoufides played his 250th game on the night of Round 1, 2006: the night Murphy made his debut. Now, Carlton’s No.3 is sure to play the corresponding game of his career with multiple club debutants.
It's pretty hard to condense 250 games worth of highlights into one video.
— Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) March 18, 2019
We think we've done a pretty good job. #BoundByBlue #Murph250
Koutoufides couldn’t have been more adamant in his praise for the two-time best and fairest winner.
“I tell everyone this — I’d see [Murph] get smashed in a contest but you know what, he just got back up and kept playing,” Koutoufides said.
“That’s when I knew he would be special for the Club. I was thrilled to see that part of you.
“He had the strength and belief and desire in him to play as many years as he could for this wonderful club. I had the privilege to see that young man develop into a captain and superstar of the game of the AFL, I think.”
