Carlton captain Marc Murphy signs new two-year deal with the Blues

CARLTON captain Marc Murphy says time on the sidelines this season helped him make the decision to stay a one-club player and still believes the rebuilding Blues can contend for a premiership before his retirement.

Marc Murphy’s contract extension with the Blues is worth as much as $600,000 a season and secures him until 2020. Picture: Michael Klein

CARLTON captain Marc Murphy says time on the sidelines this season helped him make the decision to stay a one-club player.

The midfield star has agreed to a new two-year deal that will ensure his name goes down as a great at the Blues.

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But the club’s current tough times meant the free agent did have to weigh up the option of joining a power in his own chase for premiership success.

“You’ve got to think about that, that’s the reason why you play football - to ultimately try to play in a premiership,” he said.

“But the thinking behind it was, I’ve spent 13 years here.

“Would it be a hollow feeling going somewhere else and doing that or was I keen to stick it out here and try to build something and be part of something special here?

“I think that we’re certainly building a list that can get to that stage and hopefully that’s pretty soon.”

Despite just one win in 2018 Murphy said it had been an exciting few weeks for the club.

He returned at the weekend after a lengthy lay-off with a foot injury, but said time watching the continued emergence of young stars Patrick Cripps and Charlie Curnow cemented his belief in the playing group.

Kade Simpson’s 300th game at the weekend was also a highlight, and one the skipper was intent on not taking any limelight from at the weekend.

Marc Murphy’s contract extension with the Blues is worth as much as $600,000 a season and secures him until 2020. Picture: Michael Klein

“It’s (the decision) been a bit of a while in the making ... with Simmo’s 300th it was an important week for him and his family, so I thought I’d announce it this week,” Murphy said.

“I did a fair bit of thinking.

“I think being injured allowed me to sit back as well and watch as a Carlton supporter.

“I watched those games, there was some tough weeks in there ... I think it was just important to sit down and think about what was important to me in my footy life and in my career.

“Ultimately I thought staying here and being captain is a really important role hat I hold dear and I wanted to finish off as a Carlton player for the rest of my career.”

Marc Murphy (left) with Kade Simpson after the veteran’s 300th game.

Murphy has been Carlton’s captain since 2013 and despite several serious injuries has played 241 games across his ­career.

Only 98 of them have been wins, with Murphy playing in two of the club’s four wooden spoon seasons.

Last year he won the Carlton best and fairest ahead of Sam Docherty, the Blues’ first All Australian since 2011.

In Round 1 next year he will run out along with Docherty, and potentially the first pick in the national draft given the Blues position on the ladder.

Carlton star Charlie Curnow recently added four years to his contract and Patrick Cripps plans to add two years to a deal expiring in 2019.

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