A farewell to Bob
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It is utterly unfair to the footballing genius that is Bob Murphy that my earliest memory of him is turning the ball over at the vital stage of last quarter of the Western Bulldogs' round 1, 2001 match against St Kilda - his fourth AFL game. The Dogs went down by a kick, and Bob's mistake gnawed at me for days after.
Fortunately it didn't play too much on the minds of coach Terry Wallace and the Bulldogs selectors, obviously far better judges of football potential than I, and by the time 2002 came around, Bob had earned a permanent place in the side, on his way to a career that will comprise more than 300 games when the Bulldogs' 2017 season comes to a close some time in the next few weeks.
Oddly enough, some of Bob's 'clangers' from his 18-season 'tour de football' are etched deeply into my brain, and I was given to wonder why in the lead up to his announcement on Tuesday that this season would be his last in the tricolours. And I realised before long that it is because Bob is such an exquisitely skilled user of the ball that the rare mistake, when it comes, is so unexpected as to startle me and create a moment I won't easily forget.
The good news is the highlights of Bob's on-field exploits - and there are many, many of those - are also strong in my mind. Scintillating sidesteps around befuddled opponents, pinpoint passes (more often than not hitting Bob's old buddy Daniel Giansiracusa on the chest like a bullet) and goals that only Bob and a few others could dream of conjuring, have sustained me through the Doggies' dark times, and they will stay with me forever.
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And with the end almost upon Bob, those moments are still coming. His acceleration away from the Giants' Harrison Himmelberg - 14 years his junior and, in theory at least, far more agile than the old Dog - in the second quarter last Friday night led to a goal for the ages. Bob was right in front of me when he kicked it and I couldn't help but leap into the air with arms raised in awe and celebration. I could not have stayed in my seat if I'd tried.
But Bob hasn't only inspired me on the field. His character off the field has always been a feature. I am lucky enough to have the privilege of having Bob as a Twitter follower. This allowed me the luxury of sending him a message wishing him all the best in the days after he seriously injured his knee early last year. I expected no response from Bob - I simply wanted to add my voice of support to the many others - but is a measure of the man that he responded:
"Thank you mate... She's a tough old game. All things considered, I'm doing ok. X"
That message and another post-premiership one he sent me later in the year are amongst my most treasured possessions.
Bob's weekly articles in the Age over many seasons were always a must-read for me. At various times challenging, heartbreaking, uplifting and funny - sometimes all four at once - Bob's prose often helped carry me through the middle of a long week. Some found his words to be too "flowery" and romantic. Not me, if footy isn't about romance it's about nothing at all. And Bob has helped to sustain the romance of a sport that has unwittingly done its best to make robots out of characters.
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The Bulldogs are still theoretically in the premiership hunt, and a romantic career finish to top them all remains a possibility. But the odds of that fairytale finale are so long that they almost rival those of picking this week's lotto numbers.
Nevertheless, I'll keep the dream alive for as long as the slimmest of hopes exist. But the moment will come. Some time in the next six weeks - probably sooner than later - Bob will leave the field (on whose shoulders, I wonder?) for the last time.
The tears will flow, from my eyes and those of the thousands who have been touched by the magic of Bob over the past 18 years. They will be tears of sorrow, but also of joy and gratitude. For we have been lucky enough to witness and be part of the journey of one of footy's finest fellows.
Comments
Leo from Freo 1 September 2017
Great article.
I too am a great admirer of Bob, surely (along with Robbie Flower) among the best pound-for-pound footballers to have graced the game.
And, similar to Robbie, such a genuine and humble guy.
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