Gold Coast Suns rookie Patrick Murtagh details the incredible eating habits behind his hulking frame

MEET the second year Sun who may have the biggest appetite in the AFL and has been given the nickname 'specimen' by teammates. DISCOVER WHAT GOES ON HIS PLATE IN JUST ONE DAY HERE. 

Gold Coast Suns player Patrick Murtagh training at Palm Beach. Picture: Tertius Pickard

MEET the second-year Sun who goes by the name ‘specimen’ inside the four walls of Gold Coast’s base.

Patrick Murtagh is the 196cm rookie who has been growing so rapidly that the football department has requested his time in the gym be cut in half.

The 21-year-old former Queensland decathlon champion is only into his third year of playing Australian rules but he is literally overshadowing many of his teammates already with his 106kg frame.

“The other first and second year players have got gym four times a week, I just have it twice,” Murtagh said.

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“They told me to reduce it two weeks ago. I have been told that my athleticism, size, speed and endurance is where it needs to be so I just need to concentrate on my footy.

“I’m just hassling the coaches so I can get a lot of my craft skills better.

“I’m so new to the sport and all the other guys have been playing their whole lives so it’s just about adjusting and learning every day.”

The Gold Coast Suns team photo day at the Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre . Suns player Patrick Murtagh. Picture Glenn Hampson

Murtagh put on 10kg of muscle mass in the off-season while managing to keep his body fat at just 11 per cent.

The Southport School graduate doesn’t need to look far for inspiration.

Murtagh put everything on hold to chase a chance in the AFL, including the Bachelor of Health Sciences degree he was studying and two jobs he had, one an Auskick role that actually helped him improve his handballing and kicking the same way it was helping the juniors he was coaching.

It means he had to rely on parents Michael and Vala for 12 months before being drafted at the end of 2019, no mean feat considering how much Murtagh eats.

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“I’m lucky because mum is from Papua New Guinea so I have been gifted with a good metabolism,” Murtagh said.

“I am cautious with what I eat but when someone has a snack they eat a banana and muesli bar, my snack is two steak sandwiches and chips.

“Mum sent me to get $20 of groceries the other day and I came out with $180 worth. What I eat in a day is like what people eat in a week.”

Gold Coast Suns player Patrick Murtagh training at Palm Beach. Picture: Tertius Pickard

So what exactly does the ‘specimen’ consume to build the physique frame he has.

Here is what Murtagh eats on just a standard day off on the weekend.

BREAKFAST: Omelette consisting of six to eight eggs, ham, cheese, onion and spinach and barbecue sauce. Two toast. If he is feeling extra hungry Murtagh will cook two sausages and mix them in to make scrambled eggs.

MORNING TEA: A bowl of yoghurt with protein powder, creatine, oats and banana with a protein shake on the side.

LUNCH: Four sausages, rice, potatoes and a plate of greens.

Gold Coast Suns player Patrick Murtagh with a fan at Palm Beach. Picture: Tertius Pickard

15 MINUTES AFTER LUNCH: Pre-made meal, including lasagne or pasta.

AFTERNOON TEA: Two steak sandwiches, chips and mixed vegetables.

30 MINUTES BEFORE DINNER: Bowl of pasta.

DINNER: Fried rice, including everyone else’s leftovers.

DESSERT: Another serving of fried rice.