Arthur "Joe" Murdoch (30 October 1908 – 26 December 2002) was an

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

er who played in the VFL in between 1927 and 1936 for the

Richmond Football Club The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers or colloquially the Tiges, is a professional Australian rules football team competing in the Australian Football League (AFL). Founded in 1885 in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond, Victoria, Ric ...

. Murdoch was an exceptionally tough defender who was at the forefront of an exceptional backline that held the formidable

South Melbourne South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at the 2021 ...

and Collingwood attacks numerous times in important matches during the 1930s. For his size, Murdoch had exceptionally good ground skills and would always use his strength to his advantage when the ball was loose. He was capable of playing in any position on the backline, for most of his career fitting in as required to accommodate other defenders such as

Maurie Sheahan Maurice Edward Sheahan (24 December 1905 – 17 September 1956) was an Australian rules footballer who played in the VFL between 1929 and 1936 for the Richmond Football Club. Family His son, John Sheahan (b.1942), played seventeen games for R ...

Martin Bolger Martin Joseph Bolger (19 August 1906 – 28 July 1991) was an Australian rules footballer who played in the VFL between 1930 and 1939 for the Richmond Football Club. A member of the Tigers' legendary "''Three Musketeers''" backline of Bo ...

and

Basil McCormack Basil Milton McCormack (3 August 1904 – 19 February 1973) was an Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1925 and 1936 for the Richmond Football Club. Family The son of Michael McCormack and Ma ...

. He played in the losing 1928 Grand Final side and in the 1932 premiership side as a centre-half-back, whilst in the losing 1929 side Murdoch was on the half-back flank and in 1931 full-back. By the time of the 1934 premiership side Richmond were so well-equipped with top defenders that Murdoch was moved to the forward line where he kicked a goal – despite having between Rounds Nine and Fourteen of that season held the VFL record for most games without kicking a goal.AFL Tables: Joe Murdoch
/ref> Murdoch's career ended in sensational fashion when in 1936 he was involved in a fight with Collingwood legend

Gordon Coventry Gordon Richard James Coventry (25 September 1901 – 7 November 1968) was a former Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League (1897–1989), Victorian Football League (VFL). Afforded ' ...

. Though Coventry was judged the instigator of the conflict, Murdoch was on Tuesday 4 August found guilty of retaliating and suspended for four matches. Though he played one more game, Richmond did not re-engage him for 1937.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * Hogan P: ''The Tigers of Old'', Richmond FC, Melbourne 1996 {{DEFAULTSORT:Murdoch, Joe 1908 births 2002 deaths Richmond Football Club players Richmond Football Club premiership players Glenelg Football Club players Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) VFL/AFL premiership players 20th-century Australian sportsmen