Derek Murray (Australian footballer) facts for kids

Derek Murray, born on March 25, 1980, is a former Australian rules footballer. He played for the Port Adelaide team. This was in Australia's top football league, the Australian Football League (AFL).

Derek Murray: A Young Football Star

Derek was a very talented junior football player. He played for a team called the Murray Bushrangers. This was in a special competition for young players called the TAC Cup. He played there in 1997 and 1998.

In 1997, Derek won a big award called the Morrish Medal. This award is given to the best and fairest player in the TAC Cup. The next year, in 1998, he won another award. It was called the Hunter Harrison Medal. He earned this for his great playing with the NSW/ACT Rams team.

Playing in the AFL

The Port Adelaide Football Club chose Derek in the 1998 AFL draft. This is where AFL teams pick new players. Derek played in different positions for Port Adelaide. He played as a winger, a rover, and a small forward.

His best year was 2000, when he played 11 games. But he found it hard to keep his spot in the team for 2001. Later in the 2001 AFL season, Derek got back into the team. He played six regular games. Then he was chosen to play in a big final game called a qualifying final.

Derek played in the first two games of the 2002 season. However, he did not play any more games that year. At the end of 2002, he was delisted from the team. This means he was no longer on the Port Adelaide list of players.

Family Connections

Derek Murray is an Indigenous Australian. His brother, Allan Murray, also played professional football. Allan played for the St Kilda Football Club.