The next phase - Murphy's road and outlook to becoming Australia's most highly touted off-spinner
Written by Will Faulkner
It’s been a consistent and hard-earned rise to the higher levels for Todd Murphy, with the 21-year-old just a couple of weeks away from representing Australia for the second time in less than three years.
Taking his skillset in the green and gold from an U19 World Cup in South Africa to Australia A duties in Sri Lanka, the right arm off-spinner has been selected in a 16-man squad to tour the sub-continent next month - starting June 8.
His picking has been off the back of some unbelievably consistent performances at both district and domestic level in the last 18 months, particularly in the shorter formats.
Born and raised in the New South Wales country town of Moama, Todd’s journey to a professional sporting career involved a lot of travel and commitment from both him and his parents.
Notwithstanding his talents in footy, tennis and soccer as a junior, cricket was always the sport he wanted to pursue long term.
“Whenever people asked me what I wanted to be when I was older, my response was always the same; a cricketer,” said Murphy.
A persistent nature on the cricket field began to see him gain annual selection in representative squads, and eventually saw him move from Moama to Melbourne in further pursuit of the ultimate dream.
His first season in the capital city was in 2018/19; a move made harder by the fact he was still completing Year 12, all the while juggling commitments with his new club St. Kilda.
Todd has become an integral part of St. Kilda's 1st Grade side since arriving at the end of 2018 - Photo credit: Andy Brownbill
“It’s definitely the biggest move I’ve ever made, from both a lifestyle and cricketing perspective.”
“In saying that though, I knew it was the step I had to take if I wanted to play professionally; the St. Kilda boys were so welcoming and took me in with open arms.”, exclaimed the right-arm off-spinner of his district side.
Heavily regarded as one of the best blokes within Victorian cricket ranks, Todd has always been a favourite from the perspectives of captains, coaches, teammates and fans. Just 12 months after moving to the big smoke, ‘Goggles’ was selected to play in the biggest junior cricket tournament in the world; the U19 World Cup.
For three weeks, he worked his craft in South African conditions, in what was a solid campaign personally but an unsuccessful tour for the Aussies collectively.
A minor injury with a disc in his back at times prevented him from playing at 100%, however he still gained plenty of confidence from his performances.
Murphy, right, pictured after helping Australia win a game in the 2020 U19 Cricket World Cup with the bat - Photo credit: Matthew Lewis
“There’s always times where you do mentally question your ability, and doubts creep in,” spoke Murphy of the additional mental hurdles that come with playing higher grades.
“It’s not until you perform at the level consistently that you think you’re good enough to be there; South Africa was really good for me from that point of view.”
Also speaking on his personal growth, the bond he shared with his teammates overseas he heavily valued - saying it was ‘special’ to go across the globe with a group of people who share the same aspirations as him.
After his international stint, Murphy’s stocks continued to rise at grade level for the rest of the 2019/20 season; so much so that it saw him earn a rookie contract with Cricket Victoria in a time where Australia was coming to grips with COVID.
During the unprecedented months that followed, Todd was welcomed into the elite cricketing ranks particularly by Victorian captain and St. Kilda teammate Peter Handscomb, as well as senior spinner Jon Holland.
“Both those boys were very inclusive and approachable to me and the young guys; they’ve always been very encouraging.”
In a state squad as one of four genuine spinners, breaking into the best XI is harder than other domestic lists.
Speaking on what sets himself apart from both teammate and rival spin bowlers, Todd bases his core skills down to two things.
The off-spinner's overspin is an asset of his that has so far seen him match it against the best
“The overspin with the way the ball comes out of my hand is definitely an asset within my game. That, paired with being able to bowl a consistent line and length lets me bowl to batsmen without giving them a release,”
The amount of white-ball cricket Murphy has played in the last 24 months has drastically improved his cricketing knowledge, in line with his ability to execute in the formats.
Long term though, these properties are shaping up to allow him to become a very successful spinner across the red-ball format of the game too.
“Right now, I feel like my white-ball cricket is ahead of my red, but that will hopefully even out as I continue to gain exposure to longer formats of the game,” believes the Moama-product.
Competition within the Victorian spinner landscape is high, with veteran Jon Holland, Featuring Faulks inaugural guest Tom O’Connell and 20-year-old Wil Parker all highly touted players challenging for the one or two playing spots available.
Despite the internal rivalry for playing time, the three youngsters in Murphy, O’Connell and Parker are a tight-knit bunch.
Todd expressed how the trio are all really happy to see each other do well, and that there is no jealousy involved in their relationships.
The Victorian young gun spinners are all close mates off the field, despite the constant competition for state selection
“None of us are perfect at the moment, so we get enjoyment in riding the highs alongside each other,”
He also added that a level of competitiveness is good, with ‘respect’ playing a key role in maintaining their close friendships.
Away from the sporting hubs and commitments, the 185cm athlete thoroughly enjoys time away from work, noting that cricket ‘isn’t something that he can let consume him 24/7’.
“For me, it’s about being fully in the moment when I need to be, but also having my own outlets when I’m not playing or training,”
The last 12-18 months has seen the young gun reap the rewards for years of hard work, travel and tenacity.
A domestic debut for both the Victorian one-day and Sheffield Shield side came about in early 2021, before a late call up to the Sydney Sixers as a COVID supplement player saw him play four Big Bash games earlier this year.
Having now played all three forms of domestic cricket, it's time for Goggles to take the next step up on Australia A duties - Photo credit: Matt Roberts
Bowling at an economy of just 5.11 during BBL11, Murphy made it plain and simple for recruiters and onlookers – he just doesn’t give batsman an escape, even in the unkindest of formats for spin bowlers.
The next month of cricket for Murphy will see him in and around the Australia A squad, with two one-dayers and two four-day games to be played in Colombo and Hambantota.
The past month or so, the young gun has been playing up in Darwin for Tracy Village, keeping himself match-fit in preparation for the upcoming tour. While maybe a surprise selection to those on the outside of cricketing circles, those within them know just how good a player Todd is, and that this is the beginning of what could be a very successful international career.
From his hometown in Moama to the heart of Victorian cricket at St. Kilda, there are hundreds of people invested in the rising stocks of Todd Murphy.
And with not many futures in Australian sport brighter than Goggles’, it’s hard to see him not becoming a Victorian cricketing great in more ways than one.