Ken Murphy

NSL Career: South Melbourne, Footscray 157 (11) / 1983 - 1989

Socceroos Career: 15 (1) A Internationals / 25 (1) B Internationals

Originally from Scotland, Murphy became one of the stars of state league football before becoming a star in the NSL and was one of the Socceroos' best servants during the 1980s. Murphy was a hardworking link-man who possessed a massive engine and made excellent forward runs.

Born and bred in Dundee, Scotland - Murphy played his junior football in the Dundee school system and signed Scottish Football Association schoolboy forms for Scottish League Division One side Dundee United as a 15 year old while playing for St Columba's Boys Club (Dundee Boys).

Murphy broke in to the Dundee United first team squad as a 17 year old but was unable to make a first team league appearance over the next three seasons before joining Scottish League Second Division side Forfar Athletic. Murphy had a strong 1976/77 pre-season with Forfar but decided to take a chance elsewhere.

With a clause in his contract that allowed him to become a free agent if he left Scotland, Murphy decided to travel to Australia to take up an offer with Victorian Metropolitan League Division One side Essendon Lions. Given a three-month contract, Murphy was held up in Australia by Forfar's request for a transfer fee and missed out on playing for Lions during the 1976 season.

The 20 year old joined the club on a permanent basis for the 1977 season in which Lions were one of the Victorian second division clubs to fill the vacancies in the Victorian State League left by clubs who became foundation clubs of the Phillips Soccer League. Murphy became a star player for the side during his six seasons at the club, winning back-to-back championships in 1978 and 1979 when the club was renamed Essendon Croatia.

Melbourne Croatia (Essendon Croatia prior to 1982) failed to gain promotion to the NSL during Murphy's time at the club and the midfielder joined South Melbourne for the 1983 NSL season. The 26 year old immediately became a standout player for South and made his full international debut in a friendly against England. Part of the strong South midfield that included Australian star Oscar Crino and English-born Carl Halford, Murphy played in every game of the season and helped South finish fourth in the league and semi-finalists in the NSL Cup. 

Now a Socceroos regular, Murphy remained consistent for South during the 1984 season as the club finished top of the Southern Conference. Murphy was involved in both of Oscar Crino's goals in South's four-two Southern Conference Final win over Heidelberg (including a clever touch on for Crino's first) and played in both legs of South's grand final win over Sydney Olympic. Murphy was again instrumental to South's successful 1985 season as the side finished top of the Southern Conference and went on to reach the preliminary final, in which Murphy converted South's third penalty in a penalty shoot-out loss to Preston.

 Following the 1985 season, Murphy was one of the national team's standout players in their two-legged World Cup qualifying play-off loss to Scotland. The Socceroos midfielder made just 11 league appearances in a disappointing season for South in 1986, and after playing for the side in four of the first seven games of the 1987 season, Murphy made a mid-season move to Footscray. 

Joining a talented midfield that included young stars Vlado Bozinovski and Ernie Tapai, as well as former South and Socceroos team mate Oscar Crino, Murphy and his team mates were unable to overcome the club's off-field issues and struggled for consistency on the pitch. With his international career behind him, Murphy remained a regular in the Footscray side over the next two seasons but was unable to help the club survive relegation at the end of the 1989 season when the veteran midfielder retired from the top flight. 

Murphy joined Thomastown as player-coach for the 1990 Victorian State League season before hanging up his boots at the age of 34. Murphy went on to coach a number of Victorian Premier League sides and had a season-and-a-half stint in the NSL with former club Melbourne Croatia, where he took them to the 1991/92 NSL Grand Final, losing a penalty shoot-out to Adelaide City. 

In helping the club win two Victorian championships over six seasons as a player, Murphy was selected as a substitute in Melbourne Knights' (formerly Croatia) Greatest Team. For his service to Australian football as a player, Murphy was inducted in to the Football Australia Hall of Fame - becoming the sixth player born in Scotland to do so at the time of his induction.