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Fremantle have appointed Bob Murphy to the role of Head of Football Operations and Performance, where he will manage elements of both the AFL and AFLW programs at the Club.
 
A two-time All Australian, Murphy played 312 games over 18 seasons before his retirement in 2017.
 
Highly-respected across the AFL and renowned for his leadership, Murphy was captain of the Bulldogs between 2015 and 2017.
 
In 2015, he was named Captain of the All Australian team as well as Captain of the Year by the AFL Players’ Association.
 
On top of his storied AFL career, Murphy has been active with the Bulldogs in the NAB AFL Women’s competition, where he worked to foster leadership qualities and support individual player development.
 
Fremantle’s Executive General Manager of Football Peter Bell said the club was thrilled with the appointment.
 
“We are delighted to welcome Bob into both our AFL and AFLW programs in the role of Head of Football and High Performance,” Bell said.
 
“It was clear how highly valued and respected he was at the Western Bulldogs and these leadership traits will be especially important at Fremantle as we look to foster the development of our young and talented AFL and AFLW lists.
 
“It’s especially important to the Club that Bob has been an incredible advocate of the AFL Women’s competition and we are excited about him bringing that passion to Fremantle ahead of Season Six commencing in January.”
 
Murphy will assume a number of key football operational duties formerly overseen by Joe Brierty, who has been appointed as Fremantle’s Executive General Manager Operations and People. 

Murphy confirmed the news on SEN’s Bob and Andy, saying he had missed working in the inner environment of a football Club.

“I am excited, the magnetic pull of footy just got stronger and stronger,” Murphy said.

“If you crystallise it down to a single point (of what I’ve missed) it would be the cause, the us against them.

“(In this role) you are a conduit between lots of different departments, between AFLW, high performance, development and so on.”