‘I have no regrets quitting cricket’: AFL draft hopeful Jamison Murphy on his decision to focus on footy

A former junior Australian cricket captain explains why he hung up his bat last year to focus on footy with a hope of getting drafted and potentially following Alex Carey’s path.

Prince Alfred College/North Adelaide rising star and AFL potential draftee Jamison Murphy. Murphy was one of the country’s best young cricketers before quitting the sport to focus on football last year. Picture: Peter Argent

AFL draft hopeful Jamison Murphy says he has no regrets stepping away from cricket to focus on a potential football career.

Murphy was at the top of his rising cricket career last year, having captained Australia’s under-16 team in a one-day series against Pakistan in Dubai.

But later told cricket officials he wanted to concentrate on footy and would be quitting club commitments with Woodville as well as state and national teams.

The defender/midfielder, who was part of Prince Alfred College’s First XVIII’s team and North Adelaide’s under-18s, told The Messenger he was comfortable with the decision.

He was still hoping to be selected by an AFL club at next month’s national draft.

“It wasn’t an easy one (decision),” Jamison, 18, said.

“Football, I always had a soft spot for.

“I feel cricket can be quite individual sometimes when you’re bowling or batting.

“With football, it’s more team orientated and you’re around your mates the whole time.

Potential AFL draftee Jamison Murphy in action for North Adelaide’s under-18 side. Picture: Peter Argent

“Also the fact that I have kind of followed in the footsteps of Alex Carey a little bit.

“A lot of cricketers don’t play professional cricket until they’re older whereas most footballers play when they’re a lot younger.

“Before making the decision, I never really thought too much about it, bur speaking to a lot of people, they used Alex Carey as an example and it opened my eyes to what he actually did.

“I will definitely play footy for a few more years at North Adelaide if I don’t get drafted and hopefully crack a league team.

“(But) thought if football does not work out in the end, I can always reignite the cricket flame.

“I do sometimes miss cricket but I am happy with my decision”

Murphy has endured a tough 2020 not only with the COVID-19 pandemic threatening his draft preparations but also an injury to his medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

The youngster, originally from Port Pirie, played five under-18 matches before suffering the injury.

But he revealed a silver lining from being on the sidelines — working as a defensive coach with PAC’s side.

“Unfortunately this year I didn’t play a lot of football,” Murphy said.

Jamison Murphy (front) in action for PAC against Henley in the 2019 Open Schools Cup match. Picture: Matt Loxton

“Sitting on the bench as a player, you don’t get to take in as much because you are concentrating on what you have to do when you get out there.

“But on the bench (coaching) you’re sitting there watching how players go about it, what they do well, what they don’t do well and I’m hoping to implement that into my game next year.

“I was learning the game more and was able to look at it from a different perspective and that helped me get through the year.

“I’ve definitely matured over the past year and been able to understand much more about my football and myself, which should hold me in good stead for years to come.”

Murphy said he had spoken to a few AFL clubs this year and leading up to next month’s draft.

He believed his elite kicking and leadership skills would be strengths he could bring to an AFL club.

The youngster follows a long list of dual athletes who have combined cricket and football until having to choose one in their late teenage years.

Alex Carey played for GWS before it entered the AFL then switched back to cricket when the Giants did not offer him a contract for its debut season at the elite level.

Western Bulldogs defender Alex Keath played first-class cricket for Victoria and in the under-19 World Cup before joining the Crows in 2016.

Originally published as ‘I have no regrets quitting cricket’: AFL draft hopeful Jamison Murphy on his decision to focus on footy