Robert ‘Bob’ Murphy was a revered figure in his footy career with the Western Bulldogs across 312 games – but his radio tenure with ABC Melbourne has gotten off to a shaky start.
Murphy, 42, is co-hosting the breakfast slot with journalist Sharnelle Vella – and the recently released ratings were grim for the public broadcaster.
The high-profile pair, who started in January, saw their audience share dip from 7.9 per cent to 6.3 per cent.
Ominously, the ABC’s 4.7 per cent share of radio listeners over all time-slots was the first time the network has ever fallen below the 5 per cent mark in Melbourne.
It was a similar story in Brisbane for ex-Broncos NRL star Corey Oates, who is employed by KIIS 97.3FM alongside Kip Wightman and Robin Bailey.
KIIS dipped 0.3 percentage points to an 11.3 per cent market share, leaving the station fourth in the breakfast radio ratings behind rivals B105, Triple M and Nova.
Robert ‘Bob’ Murphy was a revered figure in his footy career with the Western Bulldogs across 312 games – but his radio tenure with ABC Melbourne has gotten off to a shaky start
Murphy is co-hosting the breakfast slot with journalist Sharnelle Vella (right) – and the recently released ratings were grim for the public broadcaster, with their audience share dipping from 7.9 per cent to 6.3 per cent
It comes after Murphy was recently 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.’
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.
Footy legend Robert ‘Bob’ Murphy was recently slammed for being ‘woke’ after referring to senior footy as AFLM in a newspaper column
3AW Mornings host Tom Elliott (pictured) felt Murphy was drawing attention to himself with his unique take
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 his breakfast radio role with the ABC, Murphy has also returned to the Dogs’ home, Whitten Oval.
The 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 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)
Murphy (pictured left, participating in the AFL’s Big Freeze fundraiser) was embroiled in a war of words with fellow footy great Jason Akermanis in 2023
Murphy teamed with former Channel Seven journalist Sharnelle Vella on their ABC radio show, which airs from 5.30am to 8am on weekdays.
He said the coveted media gig held many similarities to playing top level 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.’
