Australia’s newest Test star Todd Murphy grew up like most sport-loving kids in Echuca-Moama, playing cricket in the summer and footy in the winter.
While he only began practising the art of off-spin as a 16-year-old, he was quite the accomplished batsman and medium pacer playing representative cricket throughout his junior years.
As well as starring on the cricket pitch, eagle-eyed fans have also uncovered that Murphy was also talented with the football in hand as he kicked 111 goals for Moama’s under-14s in 2014.
Random Todd Murphy fact. He kicked 111 goals for Moama’s under-14 side back in 2014. Kicked 7 in the grand final. Those glasses are magical. #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/07SdtPE3GX
— Brayden May (@braydenjmay) February 10, 2023
Troy Murphy, the uncle of the off-spinner, is one who paid close attention to Todd’s sporting pursuits as a youngster and he offered an insight on how his nephew fared on the footy field.
“In under-14s he kicked 100 goals, he was handy,” Murphy told SEN Breakfast.
“He missed a Grand Final in the under-17s, when he was captain of Moama because he was playing cricket on a Sunday in a rep game and didn’t want to get hurt.
“That was his discipline towards his cricket and showed how dedicated he was to cricket.
“He missed out on that, and the boys just got over the line, I think he would have been pretty devastated if they hadn’t of won and he’d let them down.
“But that’s what it takes I guess to be a Test cricketer now.
“He was very handy at footy, I did say to him he should play football because there’s more opportunity, but he was just deadset on playing cricket.”
Cricket fans will be thrilled that Murphy chose the Kookaburra over the Sherrin after the Victorian took an impressive 7/124 in Australia’s first Test loss to India in Nagpur.