Geelong councillor Peter Murrihy says he did not seek endorsement from Newtown and Chilwell Football Netball Club

Geelong councillor Peter Murrihy says he wasn’t aware of social media posts from Newtown and Chilwell Football Netball Club that endorsed him ahead of the past two local government elections.

Geelong councillor Peter Murrihy briefly acted as mayor in 2022. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images.

Newtown and Chilwell Football Netball Club urged its supporters to vote for Peter Murrihy ahead of the 2017 and 2020 Geelong council elections, it can be revealed.

The Facebook and Instagram posts reference the Brownbill ward councillor’s former connection to the club, an issue which has dominated discussion in local sporting and political circles since council’s February meeting.

Mr Murrihy said he didn’t seek the club’s endorsement and that he wasn’t aware of the posts until asked about them this week.

At the February meeting, Mr Murrihy put forward an ultimately successful alternative motion that prioritised state government funding for female-friendly change rooms at Newtown and Chilwell’s Elderslie Reserve, rather than Bell Park’s Hamlyn Park.

The move also increased the council’s co-contribution requirement by $550,000 to $1.25m.

In an October 2020 Facebook post – just weeks out from the local government elections – Newtown encouraged its “members, sponsors & friends” to vote for Mr Murrihy.

“Peter is a former Senior Football Coach, Junior Netball Coach and still a great supporter of the Towners,” it read.

Mr Murrihy gained 15.35 per cent of first preference votes, narrowly beating former mayor Stretch Kontelj for the third ward position.

Newtown and Chilwell Football Netball Club’s post from 2020. Source: Facebook.

Similarly, in October 2017 Newtown told its supporters to “Vote 1 Peter Murrihy”.

“Former Senior Football Coach/Junior Netball Coach and still current Member Peter Murrihy is running in the Brownbill Ward,” the post read.

“The Club supports Peter in his endeavours and wishes him all the best.”

Again, Mr Murrihy was elected in third position behind Eddy Kontelj and now-Greens MP Sarah Mansfield.

Mr Murrihy said Geelong Amateurs, St Mary’s, St Joseph’s and Newtown all supported his 2020 campaign.

The former police prosecutor is a life member of St Mary’s and a former Geelong Amateurs coach.

Geelong councillor Peter Murrihy is a prominent figure in local sporting circles.

He is also president of the Geelong Racing Club.

“My background was within the sporting community and these clubs saw fit to endorse me, which I appreciated,” Mr Murrihy said.

“My involvement with Newtown was over 25 years ago and I make no apology for continuing to support sporting clubs within the region.”

Mr Murrihy coached Newtown in 1998 and 1999, and a few years later he said he “looked after an underage netball side that my daughter and her friends played in”.

Newtown president Shaun McWilliam could not recall who posted the endorsements.

He said the club had long lobbied all councillors for funding and that it had been unsuccessful with its efforts on several occasions.

“He (Peter) was the one who took our phone calls (in past years),” Mr McWilliam said.

“He was the one who came and listened to us in what we were trying to achieve.

“If you look at what we have received (from council) over the last eight years, we haven’t received anything.”

At the March council meeting, Mr Murrihy said he “firmly believed I have no conflict of interest to declare”.

“There seem to be many mistruths, or untrue statements made over the preceding few weeks in relation to what occurred, and to those who have sent messages, sent emails and commented on social media and played the man, not the ball, this has taken its toll on me,” he said.

Mr Murrihy said he was still deciding whether to nominate for this year’s council election, which will see Geelong council revert to 11 single-member wards.

Originally published as Geelong councillor Peter Murrihy says he did not seek endorsement from Newtown and Chilwell Football Netball Club