Murphy set to spurn offers to stay a Blue for life

MARC Murphy has almost certainly passed up a chance to win a premiership and will instead retire as a committed Blue.

The Carlton captain will this week officially commit to a two-year contract with the Blues worth as much as $600,000 a season, securing him until 2020. Murphy, 31 on July 19, will be 33 by the end of that contract and will be hopeful that the Blues can play finals within that time.

But a premiership would seem extremely unlikely in that period, Murphy following St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt in rebuffing rivals in the flag window.

Geelong was a potential landing point, with some senior Cats players hopeful he could be recruited to help maximise their premiership chances. He would have had to take a pay cut but as a free agent could have hand-picked his destination and chased the success that has eluded him. Murphy provided a valuable reminder to Blues fans of his importance to the club with a slashing return on Saturday across half-back.

His loss would have exacer- bated the player drain after Zach Tuohy and Bryce Gibbs were traded in recent years for high draft picks.

As a departing 31-year-old the Blues would have received scant compensation under the AFL’s free agency rules, heightening their motivation to keep him.

Murphy has been Carlton’s captain since 2013 and despite several serious injuries has played 241 games. Only 98 of them have been wins, Murphy playing in two of the club’s four wooden spoon seasons.

But last year he won the Carlton best and fairest ahead of Sam Docherty, the Blues’ first All Australian since 2011.

In Round 1 next year he will run out along with Docherty and potentially the first pick in the national draft given the Blues position on the ladder.