Australian Football

Not particularly pacy for a wingman, Carlton’s Murray Kick nevertheless made a success of the position by virtue of his canniness and raw determination. He was also an excellent overhead mark, and boasted fine judgement. When his star was in the ascendant with the Blues between 1961 and 1963 there were few better wingmen in the game. A highlight came when he fronted up for the 1962 grand final, but it ended in disappointment. Carlton had endured a gruelling finals campaign, whilst opponents Essendon had played just once in a month, the upshot being that the Bombers ran the Blues off their feet in coasting to victory by 32 points.

From 1964 onwards Kick struggled for both form and fitness, becoming in effect a fringe player. When he retired in 1965 he had played 55 VFL games and scored nine goals. Still not quite 25 years of age he took on the role of captain-coach of Goulburn Valley League club Lemnos.

Author - John Devaney