Following careful consideration, together with the advice of the medical concussion panel convened by the AFL, the decision was made for the defender to medically retire from Australian Football.
Murphy, who has worn the black-and white-stripes for seven years, informed teammates and football department staff of his decision in a team meeting this morning.
“I feel it is the right time and the right decision for me to hang up my footy boots,” Murphy said.
“I love my football, but my priority is on my future and ensuring I live a full and healthy life.
“I’d like to thank the Club, coaches, teammates, staff and the Magpie Army for all their support throughout my playing career and for allowing me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream of playing AFL.
“To my family and friends, I couldn’t have gone through this journey without your continued love and support which I am so grateful for.
“It is not lost on me how fortunate I am to have been able to experience premiership success with this group and Club. I hope I did the jumper proud and thank the many people and supporters who helped me along the way.
“I will forever cherish the memories and friends I’ve made at our great Club.”
An all-round talent, Murphy was a promising cricketer having represented Australia at Under 16 level against Pakistan in 2015, before shifting his focus to pursue a career in football.
After impressing with both Brighton Grammar and the Sandringham Dragons in the Coates Talent League, Murphy was drafted to Collingwood with pick 39 in 2017. After making his debut against Port Adelaide in Round 22 of the 2018 season, the 24-year-old went on to play a total of 57 games in the black-and-white.
Having battled injury throughout the 2019 season, Murphy returned strong in 2020, showing great improvement in his abilities and went on to win the Club’s VFL Best and Fairest Award that year.
The 2021 and 2022 seasons saw Murphy play 15 and 16 games, respectively, before solidifying his role in the senior side in 2023, a campaign which saw him play 24 AFL matches including the 2023 Grand Final.
General Manager of Football Brendon Bolton thanked Murphy for his contribution to Collingwood.
“On behalf of everyone at Collingwood, we thank Nathan for his contribution to our Club and commend him on the maturity he has shown throughout this period,” Bolton said.
“Nathan will be remembered as a player who showed sheer courage on the field. His one-on-one efforts and ability to intercept and spoil were second to none. In the backline, Murph had an outstanding ability to read the game, lead, and direct teammates on field.
“A fun and light-hearted character, Nathan also showed great generosity which is what made him a much-loved member of our Club. Away from the field, he made significant contributions within the community space from community coaching to the working in his café.
“Having battled several injuries throughout his career, a credit goes to Nathan’s resilience and perseverance to come back and perform to a high standard on many occasions.
“While we will miss ‘Murph’, he’ll forever be a part of Collingwood’s history as a 2023 Premiership player. On behalf of the entire Club, we wish him all the best for this next chapter.”
Murphy addressed his teammates and staff a few moments ago. Vision of this opportunity can be found on the Club's website.
