Marc Murphy ready to crash Richmond’s parade, backs radical 17-game season revamp

CARLTON captain Marc Murphy believes the AFL will move to a radical 17-game season in the future and backs a mid-season trade period while eyeing Richmond’s scalp in Round 1.

Jack Riewoldt and Marc Murphy during the AFL captains day.

CARLTON captain Marc Murphy has endorsed a 17-round AFL season that follows an expanded AFLX competition in a radical revamp of the football calendar.

And Murphy says the mid-season trade period set to come in next year will be actually be a positive for players looking for fresh starts.

Murphy’s suggestion for a truncated AFL season similar to the NFL’s hugely successful format has always been shot down as unsuitable to broadcasters.

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But he says if AFLX took off it could become a valuable enough property to compensate for less rounds of AFL football.

“Depending on who you play twice, it can impact whether you play finals (with 22 games),’’ Murphy told the Herald Sun.

“You could get 17 games if you work out the other format of AFLX and have a separate series of that.

Carlton captain Marc Murphy at the AFL captains day.

“Then you have 17 games with a few breaks through the year and the season is still as long. I am not exactly sure what it looks like but I reckon it will change down the track.

“I love the NFL and I think it would be perfect. Everyone plays each other once and I think it would be good for the game.”

McLachlan has long championed a 17-5 model where each team plays once before teams are split into three pools for the final five weeks.

But the league has never been able to find a strong incentive for the bottom pool to keep trying to win given their finals hopes are over.

It seems clear the AFL will institute a mid-season trade period next season, with new footy boss Steve Hocking shaping as a positive agent of change.

Murphy said contrary to popular belief about players being traded against their will, footballers would win from the trade period.

“I think more openness in player movement is a good thing,” he said.

“What it looks like with the salary cap and when they actually do it and how they do it we don’t know. The AFL and PA need to work it out.

“The public likes seeing player movement, it would be a good chance for the guys if they aren’t getting a game somewhere to get to a new home.

“And certainly it would be a nice shake-up for the middle of the year. It would be good for footy.”

Marc Murphy battles Shaun Grigg for the ball. Picture: Michael Klein

Meanwhile, Murphy says the Blues are desperate to gatecrash Richmond’s premiership celebration next Thursday after five straight Round 1 losses.

The Carlton captain knows the size of the challenge ahead in the annual Round 1 season opener given the Tigers’ rampaging form last year.

But Carlton’s most recent finals win - the barnstorming 2013 elimination final victory over Richmond - remains a fond memory for Murphy and all Blues fans.

The Blues captain, who says he will soon sign a new contact at the club, says two JLT wins have engendered his side with a new-found confidence.

Now the Blues get to test that form against the side who has won the annual season opener by a combined total of 117 points in the past five years.

“It’s nice raining on anyone’s parade and especially Richmond,” Murphy told the Herald Sun.

“I remember back to 2013, it was nice parade to rain on. They have played some great footy in the past 12 months, they basically towelled up everyone in the finals.

“So we know we have got our work cut out for us but we will go in with a plan and an exciting game style that we think can take it up to them.

“We have had some good clashes over the years, the last few years they have had the wood over us.

“It’s a big night with the Tigs unveiling their premiership flag and having all their supporters come down and I am sure there will be lots of Carlton supporters too.

Carlton's former No.1 draft pick Jacob Weitering. Picture: Michael Klein

“It would be nice to snap that trend.”

Top-10 pick Paddy Dow seems likely to debut, with GWS recruit Matthew Kennedy set to step out in Carlton colours for the first time.

And while the new fleet of kids have Carlton fans excited, Murphy earmarked fellow No.1 draft pick Jacob Weitering to have a breakout year.

Weitering played through injuries last year after an assured debut season but Murphy said he will hit back in style.

“Everyone talks about Charlie (Curnow), I think Weiters is pretty keen to prove himself,’’ he said.

“With our five Rising Stars from last year, we have got a good exciting group coming through and they are second and third-year players with a lot of experience now.

“Speaking to Weiters, he has played 40-odd games of football and he’s training the house down at the moment.

“We wanted to win our games in the pre-season and build a winning culture around the place and we managed to do that and all our energy is focused on Thursday night.

“We are playing an attacking style of footy which the fans are enjoying and it’s a privilege to play that first game against the Tigers so it will be a good challenge.”