Murphy Reid: Fremantle Dockers teenager earns Rising Star nomination

West Australian

22-04-2025

It took longer than some Freo fans might have liked, but Murphy Reid has received recognition for a superb first six weeks at AFL level by earning this week's Rising Star nomination.
Reid was among the Dockers' best in their loss to Melbourne last weekend, kicking a goal to go with 17 touches, eight score involvements and six inside-50s in his first game at the MCG.
It continued a strong start to life at the top level for the Sandringham product, who was Fremantle's top selection at last year's draft with pick 17.
Reid is the only teenager in the AFL's top 30 for score involvements, averaging almost seven per game, to go with a total of seven majors and seven goal assists on the season.
Four of his goals came in a remarkable burst across just over six minutes in his round one debut game in Geelong - the third-fastest four-goal burst of any player this century.
'To get the nomination is pretty special, and hopefully I can finish the year off well,' Reid said.
'Week on week I think I've been building and becoming a lot more consistent throughout the games.'
Reid paid credit to Andrew Brayshaw among his Fremantle teammates, with the 18-year-old living with the vice-captain through his opening months in the west before recently moving out to join a host family.
The half-forward has become the first rookie Docker to play the opening six games of a season since Brayshaw and Bailey Banfield did it in 2018.
'The relationships are huge here at the club – obviously it's very valued,' Reid said.
'Everyone is really close, and we do a lot of things outside of footy, like dinners and stuff like that, where we all get together.'
Reid said it had been a steep learning curve at the top level, but he was confident he would continue to improve.
'Playing the half-forward role, I was sort of adjusting to the names of the roles, where to run, and stuff like that,' he said.
'Then as the weeks have gone on, I've really come to it and feel really confident and comfortable now.
'In-game, the biggest learning has been being able to hold momentum and stuff like that... let the crowd do their thing and not get distracted by that.'
Reid is considered among the frontrunners to be crowned Rising Star at season's end, along with Richmond's top pick Sam Lalor - who edged him out for a nomination in round one - and Brisbane's Levi Ashcroft.
Should he win, Fremantle would break a tie with Sydney and Melbourne for the most Rising Stars in the award's 33-year history, with Paul Hasleby (2000), Rhys Palmer (2008) and Caleb Serong (2020) all previously being crowned the league's best young player.