Fremantle are leaving no stone unturned in the search of the ultimate success, with two of their key off-field leaders discussing some of the work going in behind the scenes to create a team environment that allows every player to flourish.
Both Peter Bell and Bob Murphy were speakers at Fremantle’s Power of Sport Function on Thursday at Crown Perth, where they spoke about the impact of sport, and particularly football, had had on their lives, and how they were working to get the most out of their AFL and AFLW lists.
The event was put on with the help of co-major sponsor Programmed to acknowledge an exciting moment in Fremantle’s year with the AFL team returning to finals and the AFLW team commencing their Season 7 campaign this Sunday against Brisbane at the Gabba.
As Fremantle’s Executive General Manager of Football, Bell spoke on stage about why so many greats of the Club, and other AFL legends, were eager to be a part of something special as coaches or administrators at the Club.
“Football is addictive. I had a brief hiatus from the game post retirement and once you get reintroduced, it is all consuming and it’s a life force of its own,” Bell said.
“That drew me back in and I’m sure it’s the same for some of those names, Justin Longmuir, Aaron Sandilands and Josh Carr, who are former Fremantle players.
“It’s also evidenced by the guy sitting next to me (Murphy), we want to bring in the right people into our organisation who are driven and want to achieve something together.
“Whether they’re former Fremantle players or Matthew Boyd, Joel Corey or Murphy – we’ll continue to look to improve our organisation and our Club.”
Murphy spoke about his upbringing as the son of a priest and nun in the Victorian country town of Warragul – the same town Caleb Serong hails from.
He said as someone who is no longer strongly religious, football and Fremantle have filled the void.
“I came from a family where spirituality was quite an important part in our life,” Murphy said.
“Going to church every Sunday was just as much a part of the ritual as Saturday was for football.
“I’m not much of a church going fellow these days, but the things I loved about that experience, storytelling, symbolism, community and looking after one another – those are the things that I loved about that community and that’s what draws me to football.”
Bell said Murphy had been key with developing Fremantle’s sense of connection since he started late last year as the Head of Football Operations and Performance.
“It shouldn’t be underestimated, the intangible aspect of a high-performing team lies somewhere in the definition of what their spirit is. What is their bond and their connection?” Bell said.
“All of those things Bob was talking about are really important, particularly for the younger generation. They really want to belong for something, they want to stand for something together. That’s really important to them.
“Bob is a real leader for that within our footy department and Club.”
Murphy was quick to dispel any assumptions that he was taking Fremantle too far into the supernatural.
“Just so we’re clear, there’s no incense burning, no dreamcatchers, no hackey sacks in the office,” Murphy said with a laugh.
“My job is mostly emails and compliance, so let’s keep ourselves in check!”
Murphy already recognised Fremantle as a potential destination when looking for a return to football, saying he felt a kinship with the Club.
“I had a media career for four years. I spent most of my days having a good time and getting well paid but there was something inside me, in the marrow, that felt a little bit unfulfilled,” Murphy said
“It was just the right time for our family as well. We wanted a family adventure, and I desperately wanted to get back into football.
“Fremantle for us was the perfect fit. The fact that it’s got working class roots, it’s longing for something. That appeals to me. Even from afar, I could tell in the past few years what the Club was building and the type of people they were attracting and that was something too good to resist.
“You wouldn’t move your family all the way over here to work for West Coast, would you?”
With the theme of the day focusing on the Power of Sport, Murphy, Bell and captain Nat Fyfe all spoke about the importance of football in their country upbringings.
Bell also spoke particularly about growing up with Korean heritage in a country Australian town.
“It’s not right and things have changed as well, but sport gave me an opportunity for acceptance initially,” Bell said.
“At its best, sport then allows belonging and meaning in life, particularly in my experience in country towns, which often is the social component.
“It’s the fabric of the town at the local football or netball club and it was certainly the case where I grew up in Kojonup.
“I’ve got a lot to be thankful for with sport and particularly football for the opportunities it’s given me and also the lessons that I’ve learnt.”
Fremantle AFLW captain Hayley Miller also spoke about how sport had a significant impact on the continued push for gender equality in society.
“When AFLW was first announced, and being a part of the inaugural draft and inaugural season, it became apparent that we were a part of something really significant,” Miller said.
“We were seen as the trailblazers for women’s football and that’s something that is becoming more significant and more apparent seven seasons in, especially with minority groups within the AFLW community coming to the fore.”
When asked about the favourite aspects of his job, Bell spoke about having the opportunity to tell Andrew Brayshaw that he was about to be named All Australian and win the AFLPA’s Most Valuable Player award.
“Ringing Andrew Brayshaw to come into my office and say ‘you’re an All Australian, congratulations’ and seeing that reaction raw and in front of me…then backing it up with ‘you’ve also been voted the AFLPAs most valuable player!’ Those moments are magic,” Bell said.
“The flip side, you get the other end of the spectrum telling players their dreams of playing AFL can no longer continue at our Club, and I experienced that myself in 1995. There’s empathy there and that’s really tough.
“The excitement is ahead with the finals, it’s brilliant for all Fremantle members, fans and sponsors.
“We’re going to really enjoy it and go in confident, give it a really big swing and who knows where it might end.”
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