ABC breakfast radio host and footy legend Robert ‘Bob’ Murphy is slammed for using a VERY woke term instead of just saying ‘AFL’
Western Bulldogs great Robert Murphy has been slammed by a well-known radio presenter for being ‘woke’ after he used a politically correct term to describe the AFL.
Murphy referred to top-flight men’s competition as ‘AFLM’ in a recent newspaper column in a bid to separate it from the women’s AFLW, which begins in August.
3AW Mornings host Tom Elliott didn’t mince his words as he told listeners he believes Murphy is only using the term to draw attention to himself.
‘Does anybody else honestly want to call the AFL the AFLM?,’ he said.
‘In America, you have the NBA and then the WNBA, that works fine.
‘I think he [Murphy] is the only person who does this. He persists in calling the AFL the AFLM, that is wokeness.’
Footy legend Robert ‘Bob’ Murphy has been slammed for being ‘woke’ after referring to senior footy as AFLM
3AW Mornings host Tom Elliott (pictured) feels Murphy is drawing attention to himself with his unique take
The Western Bulldogs (pictured playing the Hawks in the preseason) open their 2025 campaign on March 15 when they tackle North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium
In 2023, Murphy and former Bulldogs teammate Jason Akermanis had differing views on AFL players choosing to disclose if they are gay.
As it stands, no AFL player – past or present – has come out publicly.
Murphy at the time said on the ABC’s Four Corners program he was ‘disgusted’, ’embarrassed’ and ‘hurt’ by Akermanis’s comments, after the three-time premiership winner declared gay AFL players should remain mute about their sexuality.
When told Murphy’s response to his comments, Akermanis labelled the decorated midfielder a ‘complete myth’ and a ‘sook’.
It followed Murphy making an impassioned plea to any current AFL stars to come out of the closet, saying they would be backed by players and the league.
‘You will be fought for and supported,’ the former Bulldogs captain said.
‘If there is a dissenting voice, they will be told to shut the f*** up or get out.’
Meanwhile, after moving back to Melbourne from Perth late last year to take up a breakfast radio role with the ABC, Murphy has also returned to the Dogs’ home, Whitten Oval.
Murphy held a senior role with the Fremantle Dockers that involved both the club’s AFL and AFLW teams (pictured with Dockers women’s coach Lisa Webb)
The veteran of 312 games with the Dogs got out of footy to try his hand as a breakfast radio host with the ABC (Murphy is pictured with ABC co-star Sharnelle Vella)
Murphy (pictured participating in the AFL’s Big Freeze fundraiser) was also embroiled in a war of words with fellow footy great Jason Akermanis in 2023
The 312-game veteran and two-time All Australian is part of the leadership and culture program at the Kennel, as well as assisting the club’s media and commercial departments.
In 2021 he joined the Fremantle Dockers head of football operations and performance for both the club’s AFL and AFLW teams, a role he stayed in for three seasons.
He had previously worked with the Bulldogs’ AFLW team in a leadership and development capacity.
Murphy teamed with former Channel Seven journalist Sharnelle Vella on their ABC radio show, which aired in Melbourne from 5.30am to 8am on weekdays.
He said the media gig held many similarities to playing footy.
‘You get in and anything could happen, really,’ he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘You can start talking about one thing, and it takes a turn, and off it goes. And that’s sport, that’s music, that’s theatre.
‘I’ve clearly stepped out of a sports world that does deal with politics and culture and community and those things, but it is centred around the game. This is a completely different coliseum.’
Luke Beveridge’s men open their 2025 campaign on March 15 when they tackle North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium from 7.35pm AEDT.
