The John Nicholls medal count couldn’t have been any closer, with only one vote defining the winner and the runner-up.
Carlton’s very own rising star Patrick Cripps took out the top honour, with the skipper Marc Murphy finishing in second place – 67 votes to 68.
With both Murphy and Cripps having standout seasons, it always loomed to be a tight contest to find Carlton’s best and fairest.
In what has been a challenging year for the Blues, Murphy has led by example – especially on the field. The midfielder is ranked number one at the club for total disposals (510), disposals per game (26.84) and kicks per game (15.32) in 2015.
The keeper of the No. 3 jumper thanked those close to him for the support they have given him in what has been a difficult season for the Blues.
“I suppose when you’re going through a tough time you rely on your support network quite heavily,” he said.
“My family, friends and girlfriend, and even my teammates have been really supportive this year, in what has been a tough year.
“Although we didn’t get the results we would have liked we stuck together pretty well and going through these tough times will really make us better going forward.”
Murphy praised interim coach John Barker, saying ‘JB’ brought out the best in him and gave him confidence – something he admitted needing.
Marc Murphy says John Barker had a profound influence on his form turnaround. (Photo: AFL Photos)
“JB was really good for me and a lot of credit has to go to him – I was in a pretty dark place at that time.
“When JB got the reins it felt like he gave me a lot of freedom, backed me in, gave me a lot of confidence, and I felt like my football started to improve from there.”
The captain, who is recovering from his shoulder reconstruction, praised teammates Patrick Cripps and Zach Tuohy, who came first and third respectively in the count.
“Zach had a terrific year. The mad Irishman was very good off halfback and those signature 50-55m goals are always handy.
“His work rate and his ability to take his game to the next level has been really great this year.
“And ‘Crippa’ has impressed everyone in the footy world. I think he was a bit stiff not to win the Rising Star but this is a reward for him and I’m sure he’ll win a few more John Nicholls Medals in the coming years.”
Looking ahead to next season, Murphy said he’s caught up with new coach Brendon Bolton three or four times and is really excited to start work alongside him.
“He’s a terrific person and he’s really passionate about where he wants to go and where he wants to take this footy club.
“I’m a proud person and I want to see this club get back to where we need to be.”
