Footy great Bob Murphy reaches sad new low after career switch
One of the most loved characters in Australian football has crashed in brutal fashion after a massive career gamble.
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AFL great Bob Murphy has crashed to a sad new low in his promising media career.
The presenter finished his playing career with the footy media world at his feet after he became one of the most-loved personalities on Fox Footy.
The 42-year-old has since excelled in TV and radio roles, but his biggest gamble so far is looking like a bust after just a few months.
Murphy and journalist Sharnelle Vella were given the prestigious gig of taking over the ABC Breakfast radio show in Melbourne, but the pair appear to be losing listeners by droves.
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That’s what the first radio ratings survey of the year shows with the pair seeing a drop of 7.9 per cent to 6.3 per cent of the market.
As first reported by The Herald Sun, the ABC was down in Melbourne across all time slots, seeing the national broadcaster crash to a 4.7 per cent share of the audience.
It is the first time the national broadcaster has ever dipped below the five-point mark in Melbourne.
The latest market results showed a very different trend for Saints champion Nick Riewoldt.
The former St Kilda captain — and his Triple M Breakfast team of Mick Molloy, Titus O’Reilly and Rosie Walton — have pulled Triple M out of a slump with a rise from 6.6 per cent to 7.9 per cent.
The strong result is a huge win for the traditionally blokey network, which is desperately trying to move on from the scandalous departure of Marty Sheargold.
Former Carlton star-turned radio larrikin Brendan Fevola’s Nova Breakfast show dropped to 8.4 per cent.
Murphy and Vella had a tough assignment after taking over from Sammy J in January.
The Western Bulldogs premiership winner and the award-winning journalist seemed like a dynamite partnership, but things haven’t begun how many thought it would.
Murphy and Vella began with an afternoon slot in December to test the waters before they were promoted to the breakfast slot.
It wasn’t supposed to start like this.
“When I got the call that Sharnelle and I were going to be given a chance it was one of the most memorable moments of my life,” Murphy said of the promotion in January.
“I have spent a lifetime in footy, but even within footy I have often been restless and wanting to talk about other things, and been interested in lots of other things.
“In the past seven years since I finished playing there has been radio and a bit of TV, a bit of writing, and coaching and leadership stuff.
“This feels like the right time to sink my teeth into something and throw myself into the deep end 100 per cent.”
The pair still have time to turn things around.
Originally published as Footy great Bob Murphy reaches sad new low after career switch
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