Forget Moneyball. This is Murdock-Ball. Milan Murdock's rapid rise from WAFL standout to AFL star in just three months is set to change how clubs recruit and build lists.
A Ready-Made Player for West Coast
West Coast have not only found a mature-age, ready-made player but also one who makes them better in several ways as they look to accelerate their rebuild. A renowned ball-winning midfielder who loved to tackle in the state league, Murdock has adapted extraordinarily quickly into a defensive forward who has the tank and determination to shut down the best half-back ball users in the AFL.
Ask any coach, and they will tell you one of the most important roles in modern football is to have a quality distributor out of defence that sets up the play ahead of them. And Murdock has taken down two of the best in the past fortnight, while also having an impact offensively.
He kept Greater Western Sydney's Lachie Whitfield to a season-low 21 touches in the Eagles' win, before restricting Collingwood's Josh Daicos to a miserly 18 disposals in front of 90,000 at the MCG. It is an invaluable role for the Eagles, which has been instrumental in their development.
Interest from Premiership Contenders
Other teams — even those in the premiership window — would love to have Murdock in their ranks. He would be in several other teams' best 23s. At ladder-leaders Fremantle, Murdock would play ahead of Chris Scerri and would push Isaiah Dudley for a spot. At Sydney, Murdock would be picked ahead of Tom Hanily and Caiden Cleary, while at Gold Coast, he would've been handy to help free up Bailey Humphrey to play more midfield minutes.
Even at Melbourne, he'd get a go to help provide a defensive presence up forward, which would benefit the attacking prowess of Kysaiah and Latrelle Pickett. Geelong and Brisbane have several small forwards who like to move through the midfield, but a defensive forward with Murdock's tenacity could really add a different element to their structure.
Impact on Recruiting Strategies
Recruiters across the league would be derelict in their duties if they weren't now looking at ways they could find the next Murdock from around the country. On Tuesday, clubs will head to the mid-season rookie draft, hopeful of finding the next hidden gem who is desperate to get their chance at the top level.
And for those state league players hoping to finally break into the ranks, Murdock will provide an incredible inspiration that no matter how old you are or how many times you're overlooked, you can still become an AFL star. Get ready for Murdock-ball to take over the AFL.
