Australian under-16 captain Jamison Murphy steps away from cricket to focus on trying to get drafted to the AFL
Prince Alfred College’s Jamison Murphy skippered Australia’s under-16 cricket team in Dubai earlier this year. But he’s stepped away from the sport to focus on getting drafted to the AFL.
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Australia’s under-16 captain has stepped away from cricket to focus on football in the hope of being drafted next year.
Prince Alfred College’s Jamison Murphy skippered the national junior team in a one-day series against Pakistan in Dubai in January, but last month the Woodville all-rounder told cricket officials he wanted to concentrate on footy.
Murphy, 17, is among 30 footballers named in the SA hub of the AFL academy for next year and North Adelaide regards the midfielder as one of its best 2020 draft prospects.
Prince Alfred co-curricular activities director Troy McKinnon said Murphy would continue to play cricket for the college, but wanted to lighten his load of club and representative commitments as he prepared for his draft season and Year 12.
McKinnon said Murphy was a strong chance to resume high-level cricket if he was not drafted.
“The college and the AFL and cricket pathways people have come together to make a triangulated decision in Jamison’s best interests,” McKinnon said.
Officials from Cricket Australia and the SACA, as well as Woodville’s coach, 14-Test all-rounder Peter Sleep, all said Murphy was highly regarded and they supported his decision.
“One of the benefits of cricket is the multiple entry points available to modern players,” Cricket Australia national talent pathway manager Graham Manou said.
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“These will be available to Jamison should he elect to go down that path in the future.”
Originally from Port Pirie, Murphy moved to Adelaide for Year 10 to board at Prince Alfred.
Murphy captained the Cricket Australia XI during last summer’s national under-17 championships, scoring 50 runs at 10 and grabbing seven scalps at 17.4.
From that, he was named skipper for the five-match series against Pakistan in the UAE, where he made 100 runs at 20 and snared six wickets at 26.5.
He has only played two senior games for Woodville – a B-grade match and Twenty20 last December – because of cricket commitments with PAC.
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North Adelaide talent manager Neil Sanders said Murphy had hardly trained for football because he had played so much cricket.
Murphy lined up in nine under-18 matches for the Roosters this past season.
“He had some really good games of under-18 footy as a 17-year-old, just off the back of his natural ability,” Sanders said.
“He’s a long kick of the ball, a beautiful kick.
“You’d be surprised if he didn’t get drafted.”
Murphy is the latest in a long line of players over the past decade who have combined football and cricket until their late teens then chosen between them.
Gold Coast’s George Horlin-Smith also skippered Australia’s under-16 cricket team, while Geelong’s Jordan Clark snared a hat-trick for his country in that age group.
New Western Bulldogs defender Alex Keath played first-class cricket for Victoria and in the Under-19 World Cup before joining the Crows in 2016 as a non-registered player selection.
Victorian all-rounder Will Sutherland was touted a possible first-round draft pick but opted to stick with cricket.
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.
He has since become Australia’s One-Day International wicketkeeper and a star for both Adelaide Strikers and SA.
Originally published as Australian under-16 captain Jamison Murphy steps away from cricket to focus on trying to get drafted to the AFL