Latest news with #BobMurphy
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Twenty years on, is Sydney's ‘Bloods' culture at risk of fading away?
On Saturday, the Sydney Swans will mark the 20-year anniversary of their drought-breaking, identity-forging 2005 AFL premiership – the moment that their 'Bloods culture' went from being an internal concept, barely spoken about outside the club, to a very public ethos, mythologised in footy folklore and proudly etched into the club's DNA. At half-time of Sydney's clash with the Adelaide Crows, players from that famous grand final win will do a lap of honour at the SCG, and thousands of fans will show their appreciation for them and the achievement that set up the enviable era that followed. At no point in the past two decades has that culture – built on discipline, selflessness, unity and commitment, revered and feared by their rivals – appeared more vulnerable than right now. If nothing else, the Swans of 2025 are clearly undisciplined. Skipper Callum Mills will miss Saturday's clash through suspension, and he's far from the only culprit; no team this year has had more players rubbed out than the Swans. And those other qualities, for so long non-negotiables at this club, just aren't sticking. After last week's hollow defeat to Melbourne – the Swans' first match at the MCG since last year's grand final, their second belting on the game's biggest stage in the space of three years – former Western Bulldogs champion Bob Murphy diagnosed their issues in perhaps the most Bob Murphy way imaginable. 'Well, the thing about the Bloods,' he said on ABC Radio. 'Blood needs to pump, and the thing that pumps your blood is your heart, and I feel like they've played with broken hearts for most of the year.' All the players who built the Bloods culture are gone; in fact, so much has changed that the bloke who kicked the ball that Leo Barry marked is now the coach. Paul Roos is long gone, and so too is his successor John Longmire; though he's still technically around, in his new upstairs role at the Swans, the football department is no longer his domain. Like the Ship of Theseus, if all the parts have changed, and all the hands which put them there are different, is it still the same? Recent history would suggest that yes, that culture has been successfully preserved: only three times since 2005 have the Swans missed the finals, and most would agree that they probably should have won more than one of their four grand finals in that time. And the brand of footy they have played throughout is - or was - still based on the same fundamentals.
The Age
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Age
Twenty years on, is Sydney's ‘Bloods' culture at risk of fading away?
On Saturday, the Sydney Swans will mark the 20-year anniversary of their drought-breaking, identity-forging 2005 AFL premiership – the moment that their 'Bloods culture' went from being an internal concept, barely spoken about outside the club, to a very public ethos, mythologised in footy folklore and proudly etched into the club's DNA. At half-time of Sydney's clash with the Adelaide Crows, players from that famous grand final win will do a lap of honour at the SCG, and thousands of fans will show their appreciation for them and the achievement that set up the enviable era that followed. At no point in the past two decades has that culture – built on discipline, selflessness, unity and commitment, revered and feared by their rivals – appeared more vulnerable than right now. If nothing else, the Swans of 2025 are clearly undisciplined. Skipper Callum Mills will miss Saturday's clash through suspension, and he's far from the only culprit; no team this year has had more players rubbed out than the Swans. And those other qualities, for so long non-negotiables at this club, just aren't sticking. After last week's hollow defeat to Melbourne – the Swans' first match at the MCG since last year's grand final, their second belting on the game's biggest stage in the space of three years – former Western Bulldogs champion Bob Murphy diagnosed their issues in perhaps the most Bob Murphy way imaginable. 'Well, the thing about the Bloods,' he said on ABC Radio. 'Blood needs to pump, and the thing that pumps your blood is your heart, and I feel like they've played with broken hearts for most of the year.' All the players who built the Bloods culture are gone; in fact, so much has changed that the bloke who kicked the ball that Leo Barry marked is now the coach. Paul Roos is long gone, and so too is his successor John Longmire; though he's still technically around, in his new upstairs role at the Swans, the football department is no longer his domain. Like the Ship of Theseus, if all the parts have changed, and all the hands which put them there are different, is it still the same? Recent history would suggest that yes, that culture has been successfully preserved: only three times since 2005 have the Swans missed the finals, and most would agree that they probably should have won more than one of their four grand finals in that time. And the brand of footy they have played throughout is - or was - still based on the same fundamentals.
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Sharnelle Vella and Bob Murphy
Sharnelle is an award-winning journalist that has covered major events both in Australia and overseas for 7News Melbourne. Her versatile reporting style placed her as part of the Seven Network's Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and Tokyo Olympics Games coverage teams. Sharnelle has also reported from London, Los Angeles, Florida, China, and New Zealand covering breaking news. She covered several of the biggest court cases in Victorian history including the trial and sentence of Cardinal George Pell, Bourke street attacker James Gargasoulas, school girl killer Sean Price, and the Christmas Day terror plotters. Bob Murphy Bob grew up in Gippsland, played for Footscray, and calls Melbourne home. Married to high school sweetheart, Justine, and with a brood of three children — Jarvis, Frankie, and Delilah — he has subtly carved out a public life that includes writing for The Age as a columnist, penning his own memoir, appearing on various radio and television programs, and for 18 years playing for his beloved Western Bulldogs. A self-confessed romantic, Bob has a bent for nostalgia, vintage T-shirts, and songs about trains.
ABC News
23-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Sharnelle and Bob's Breakfast Table Takeover
Do you want 774 ABC Radio Melbourne to broadcast live from your house? Tell us why your place is the best spot for Sharnelle Vella and Bob Murphy to host their Breakfast show. Express your interest here for an ultimate radio experience. ENTER HERE Posted 7m ago 7 minutes ago Fri 23 May 2025 at 2:19am
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Why footy great Bob Murphy's shocking sexually charged remark about his co-host could END his ABC radio show
A leading television commentator has revealed why he believes it is only a matter of time before Robert 'Bob' Murphy and Sharnelle Vella's ABC Breakfast Radio show will be axed for good. Murphy made headlines last week after he shocked audiences by making a sexually charged joke live on air about his female co-host, insinuating Vella had once worked at a strip club. The former Western Bulldogs star made the shock comment during Wednesday's Melbourne Breakfast show but was forced to make a grovelling apology afterwards, with Vella biting back with a very blunt and frosty response: 'It's not OK.' The pair began presenting the show back in January 2025 after Sammy J (Samuel McMillan) announced he would be leaving ABC. But since January, the show has seen its ratings worryingly slump on multiple occasions. Television columnist Robert McKnight believes it is now only a matter of time before ABC bosses will can Murphy from the show, because the incident has shown that he and Vella have a lack of chemistry as radio hosts. 'These two people showed in that very moment that they are not friends and they do not have chemistry,' McKnight wrote in a column for Channel 7. He pointed to both the shock and bizarre joke that Murphy had made and then Vella's response to his grovelling apology. The pair had been interviewing Elinor Kasapidis, from Certified Practising Accountants Australia, regarding the subject of getting the right financial advice when Vella had recounted her first job out of high school. 'I remember when I worked in retail many moons ago when I was still in high school...' Murphy interjected, stating: 'Not at Spearmint Rhino?' in reference to a Melbourne strip club. Vella appeared to pause briefly, then said 'No' before returning to speak with Kasapidis. There is no claim by Daily Mail Australia that Vella has ever worked in a strip club and it is understood that Murphy's comments were meant as a joke. On Thursday, Murphy began the show by attempting to extend an olive branch to his co-host. 'I think it'd be pertinent from my point of view to start with some news that came out of this studio,' he began. 'For those of you who listened to the show yesterday, or have woken up to a story in the newspaper that refers to an inappropriate comment I made yesterday, I think I need to address that publicly to apologise. 'I did that, insinuated my colleague and co-host Sharnelle worked at Spearmint Rhino, a well-known strip club. 'Cutting straight to the point, it was not just a mistake, it was a gross and inaccurate off-hand quip. 'I promised Sharnelle that I'd never disrespect her and I did break that promise. 'Put simply, I'm really sorry.' Vella, though, issued a frosty response in return. 'Look, I won't let you off the hook on it. It wasn't OK,' she said. 'I appreciate your words, but we do move on.' McKnight has highlighted this exchange as a key point in ascertaining that the broadcasters 'do not have on-air chemistry'. He believes the duo now cannot recover from the moment, adding that Vella has 'absolutely every right to call her co-host out, but it's the way you do it that reveals so much about the working relationship between two people'. 'At the time he made the joke, she could have easily put him in his place with a joke, something like: 'Are you right there, mate? Are you calling me a stripper'.' McKnight even suggested that the interaction between the pair of radio hosts could have led to phone-ins from listeners to discuss what might be appropriate to say to colleagues when it comes to work. McKnight has worked in the broadcasting industry since 1995, and has held multiple roles as a producer, executive producer with Channel 7, Channel Nine and Network Ten. 'Vella's reaction wouldn't be a problem in any other workplace, but an on-air team is supposed to make the audience feel comfortable. 'We're supposed to believe they really like each other, despite what the truth might be. I have no idea if they are friends off air, I'm simply talking about the perception of their relationship.' McKnight also added that Murphy will now be more reluctant to joke or have banter with Vella following the incident. 'It's very easy to see that he will limp along, ratings will fall, and eventually she will be paired up with a new co-host. The damage is done and now it's just a matter of time before he - or the whole show - is cancelled. 'The way this was handled doesn't do either of them any favours.' Daily Mail Australia has approached the ABC for comment. Murphy enjoyed a distinguished footy career, joining the Bulldogs in the 1999 National Draft. He'd go on to make 312 appearances, scoring 183 goals during that time, before hanging up his boots in 2017. The former defender, who could also step up into the midfield, was highly respected as a player, captaining the side between 2015 and 2017 and notably claimed two All-Australian jackets. After hanging up his boots, Murphy stepped into working in the media. He has written columns for The Age and has been included as a regular panellist on the show AFL 360 on Fox. He also has held other roles in radio, notably joining up with Andy Maher for 1116 SEN's late afternoon drive show back in 2019 but would quit his work in broadcasting to move to Perth in 2021, where he became Fremantle's head of football operations and performance. Despite that, he'd return to Melbourne and take up his new role with Vella on ABC's breakfast show but things have been a little bumpy for Murphy since joining the show. Ratings at the breakfast show began to dip in March, sliding from 7.9 per cent to 6.3 per cent. They would then slump again in April, falling to 5.6 per cent. Murphy had also been hit with criticism earlier this year by a rival presenter for being 'woke'. Murphy had referred to the men's top-flight Australian rules football competition as the 'AFLM'. Tom Elliott of 3AW slammed him over the call. 'In America, you have the NBA and then the WNBA, that works fine,' Elliott said. 'I think he [Murphy] is the only person who does this. He persists in calling the AFL the AFLM ... that is wokeness.' Murphy had also slammed ex-Bulldogs team-mate Jason Akermanis in 2023 over a discussion on whether footballers should come out as gay. Akermanis was suspended by the Bulldogs after writing in a newspaper column that it would be too controversial for a player to come out as gay. 'Stay in the closet,' he wrote. During an episode of the 'Four Corners' podcast, Murphy was 'disgusted', 'embarrassed' and 'hurt' by Akermanis' comments. In the history of the AFL, no player has ever come out as openly gay.
