Robert Murphy: Sea of smiling faces helps keep players happy in the trade

Murph's latest offering...

Sea of smiling faces helps keep players happy in the trade
The Age | BOB MURPHY | May 13, 2010

FOOTBALL is a funny little trade, and a trade is exactly how I see it. It's to be toiled with, rarely mastered, and requires more than a few skills from left-field. A job it ain't though.

Away from the field of play and the spotlight, there are a few things that must be completed as part of this trade. I talk of school visits and footy clinics.

Friday night football is exciting to watch, exhilarating to be a part of and absolutely disastrous if you miss out on the four points.

A weekend of regret, guilt and just the right amount of anxiety ensues.

We were pretty darn relieved to get away with the win on Friday night. Just as well, too, because not only were those four points against Melbourne crucial to our season, but every single Bulldogs player had an Auskick clinic the following morning


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We can all relate to this, at my school it was Laurie Sandilands and Richard Murrie, (showing my age).
In the years to come 3 or 4 of these kids went on to wear the red ,white and blue.
Nice article.

Very cute!

I wish Murph would come to MY school.

Have done the odd school visit myself and it's true, you always get the same questions, funny to see what the standard questions are for someone in a different line of work.

My son lives in Rockingham, WA, and had two Eagles players come to visit. (He doesn't remember which ones.)

They gathered the entire school at assembly, and my little Grade 1 champion, in the midst of the quiet, shouts out a line I've said to him hundreds of times over his lifetime: “Eagles suck! Doggies rule!!”

Never had I been prouder to be a father than the moment his mother rings to complain, telling me he'd gotten a stern talking to. Prouder still was the moment he spat right back at the teacher: “Well my Daddy says so!” Hehehehehe…

One champion kid now has a new Transformer. Some call it bribery, some call it brainwashing, but me? I call it setting the kid up well for life. :-)

He also, like Murph reports, says "versed" all the time.

It's great that players take the time to do this stuff. Mitch Hahn signed his jumper for him for Christmas, and he was so rapt he wants to play footy when he grows up. So it's worth it, that one cold morning for a player will be remembered for the kid's life.

The word 'versed' as used in discussion of sporting competitions, is the bane of my professional life... that, and the NAPLAN....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AndrewP6

The word 'versed' as used in discussion of sporting competitions, is the bane of my professional life... that, and the NAPLAN....

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It's ruining the timetable at my school. So very annoying.

Love this bit:

As the People's Beard and I wandered over to the crowd gathered at the home of the Newport Power, we were warmed by the inner strength of victors, and by two big, strong flat whites to go.

I took my kids and some of their friends ( friend never seen any footty before) to "the kennel" on Tuesday , It was great event it so cool ( we all kinda sick now) . The kids love it so much and they want to do it again in the future .

Last Year Tim Callan came out to my daughter 's school .. she still talk about that visited now . In my opinion , I think that the great ideas for Footballer to do and it also the way to built Club 's Fan for future...

I am trying to remember the name of the full forward who came to my school when i was in grade five Kelvin was our CHF and this bloke did well for a couple of years I am sure Coon Dog will know bugger it's on the tip of my tongue :-(

Shane Loveless?