Murphy Reid is one of the most exciting players in the league, with an AFL expert saying his exploits should have Dockers fans believing in the Flagmantle dream.
The 2025 Rising Star is showing no signs of the second-year blues rising to an elite level, averaging more than 22 disposals, after moving to a more midfield-dominant role.
Richmond great Matthew Richardson said Reid’s acts remind him of a legend from a different football code.
“Last Friday flying up to the Gabba I watched the first episode of a documentary on Brazilian soccer great Ronaldinho. This episode focused on his early years. This was a supremely gifted footballer. Incredible dribbling ability with supreme passing skills and vision, who was also able to regularly score as a midfielder,” Richardson wrote in his column for The Nightly.
“My mind went to the AFL game the night before and I started thinking of Fremantle young gun Murphy Reid. He has the same traits. Beautiful touch kicking, outstanding footy IQ and vision to bring teammates into the game. He also hits the scoreboard.
“Yes, this is a huge comparison. Ronaldinho won the Ballon D’or as the best player in the world in 2005. I’m not saying Murphy will be the best player in the AFL. But oh boy he’s tracking very nicely.”
As the Dockers eye a record-equalling ninth straight AFL win this weekend, Richardson said it’s time to hoist the Flagmantle colours.
“Flagmantle is definitely back on. Eight on the trot now and they should have beaten Geelong at the Cattery in round one. They want for nothing now. This Fremantle side feels different,” he said.
“It hasn’t been easy the last two weeks. They came from four goals down in the second quarter against the Dogs to be 30 points up in the last before the Dogs got back within a goal with enough time left to win.
“But Fremantle steadied and won. They then had to fight and scrap for 45 mins in the second half against Hawthorn, eventually breaking the Hawks to score the last five goals of the game in half a quarter.
“This was a crucial win and franked the maturity in this team. All the big names stood up at pivotal moments. Start believing, Dockers fans, this is a very good team.”
Maturity has been the key word behind the Dockers’ success, according to coach Justin Longmuir, who singled it out as the biggest factor behind their blistering form.
“It has been growing for a while, and it probably comes down to maturity, and the beauty about how we’re playing is the ability to win in different forms, and we’re not getting flustered with the positions we find ourselves in late in games,” Longmuir said on Wednesday’s Agenda Setters.
However Longmuir was keen to point out they are still a long way from the finished product.
“It’s a more open game, which allows teams to flick a switch and score really quickly, so you’re always on edge as a coach during the game,” he said.
“We’re not the best team in the competition yet, and it’s only round nine, so there’s a long way to go.”
