AFL Round 11 Adelaide Crows v Brisbane: All the news, action and fallout from Adelaide Oval

Nick Murray was overlooked in multiple drafts and was back playing in the Riverina Football League as Covid arrived – then things changed. The Crow opens up on the long journey.

Nick Murray got the call and quickly had to make plans to get over the border.

It’s New Year’s Eve 2020 and it’s shortly after the latest occasion Murray has been overlooked in the draft.

After being passed over in the 2019 draft, he signed to play with Williamstown in the VFL, but the pandemic put an end to that.

So the former Murray Bushrangers co-captain, who grew up in the NSW Riverina and was a member of GWS’ Academy, went to play for the wonderfully named Ganmain Grong Grong Matong in the Riverina Football League and worked on a family friend’s farm.

In one of the few leagues that actually played during the year, Murray impressed out in the bush, kicking 12 goals from seven games as a centre half forward.

Again he was looked over in the draft, but there was a glimmer of hope.

Nick Murray puts is body on the line for the Crows every week. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

“So I got a call just before the draft, Hamish Ogilvie (the Crows national recruiting boss) said look we aren’t going to draft you but we want you to come over in January (to train).

“And then I got a call on New Year’s Eve saying you have to come over now they are about to shut the borders (because of Covid).

“So I quickly drove over and started training on the eighth of January.”

Murray’s whirlwind journey didn’t stop there.

Despite coming to the club as a triallist, Murray quickly found himself in the Crows senior side in pre-season after an opening in the Adelaide defence emerged.

Still a train-on player, Murray manned Port Adelaide star Charlie Dixon in a pre-season game.

This won him a contract with the Crows, and soon he was making his AFL debut in Sydney -where he was matched up against Swans star Lance Franklin.

“I was still kind of adapting to the AFL and then you are on someone like him and you are thinking god about six months ago I was watching you on my TV and now I’m playing on you,” Murray said.

“It was definitely a whirlwind.”

Murray’s path to the AFL was unconventional. Picture: The Advertiser/ Morgan Sette

It was a whirlwind, and a journey that had taken him through a fair bit – one that was even chaotic at times.

But Murray reckons he needed it more than a conventional pathway.

“Personally I think if I got drafted at 18 I wouldn’t have been ready and I would have been chewed up and spat out I reckon,” he said.

“Where as I was able to have those two years and see some of my mates get drafted and build up that resilience and I guess it has made me a better player I reckon.

“Working on a farm there with a few of my mates, doing that and playing a bit of country footy and trying to get as much training as possible.

“It has put me in good stead that is for sure.”

Murray was overlooked in multiple drafts. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

Murray’s career might be footy, but farming is still something close to his heart.

In Adelaide, it has actually become his release from the AFL.

Along with Crows teammate Ned McHenry, Murray has bought a 204 acre property near Hartley – just 15 minutes north of Strathalbyn.

“It is good fun, it is such a good getaway from footy. If footy becomes a bit too much you can just go there and just switch off,” Murray said.

“Just a pasture, four paddocks so got a few ewes lambing there at the moment the first one just dropped so exciting times.

“We get out there a fair bit, it was after the Collingwood game we were able to get down there and do a bit of a bonfire with some of the boys.

“Some of them haven’t really experienced that so it was a new experience for them.

“It is so good, Adelaide is a real footy town so it is good to get out and the fact it is 50 minutes away we are able to get out there two or three times a week and completely switch off.

“It has been really good for my mental wellbeing and I’m looking forward to more over the coming years.”

On top of the farm, Murray and McHenry live together out in Goodwood.

“It is good we do a lot together,” he said.

“I don’t go fishing though so I do get a little break from him.”

Coach Matthew Nicks says there is so much potential with Murray. Picture: Michael Klein

Whenever Adelaide senior coach Matthew Nicks is asked about Murray and his progression, he has a similar answer.

“Muz is still developing, that is the most exciting thing with Nick Murray he still has so much to come,” Nicks said.

“He attacks the ball, he is explosive and he is ready to take a risk here and there as a key defender and he backs himself in.

“He is still so raw, when we work with him there is something he learns every week so it is really exciting.

“So there is so much potential there with Nick Murray.”

This season, Murray has increased his disposals from 7.9 to 10.4 per game, his marks from 2.8 to 3.8, his intercept possessions from 3.5 to 4.3 and spoils from 5.9 to 7.9.

Murray’s focus has been on his composure and “just not being so frantic with the ball”.

He is also hoping to continue building his partnership with fellow key defender Jordon Butts.

The two actually played together for the Bushrangers as juniors and after both being overlooked in drafts and coming to the AFL as a rookie (Butts) and as a SSP (Murray), they are now the Crows first-choice key-defensive pairing.

“Yeah we were at Bushies for two years,” Murray said.

“It is funny he was the only person I knew when I came over and we have been able to build a bit of a connection playing a lot of footy together.

“Hopefully it stays and we can be two long key backs who have been pretty successful.

“Someone said to me the other day you have (Izak) Rankine and (Josh) Rachele who are top 10 picks and are playing in the forward line and kicking goals and then you and Butts are probably 80th or 90th picked and you are in the backline.

“It’s pretty funny.”

Originally published as AFL Round 11 Adelaide Crows v Brisbane: All the news, action and fallout from Adelaide Oval