THE WESTERN Bulldogs have approached club great Bob Murphy to return to the Whitten Oval, following his departure from Fremantle. 

Murphy resigned as the Dockers’ head of leadership last month after spending three seasons in Perth in a variety of roles under Justin Longmuir.

The 42-year-old has since returned to Melbourne with his family and is exploring opportunities to resume his media career, appearing on Triple M and ABC in September. 

Before Murphy moved to Fremantle, the dual All-Australian combined his radio commitments at SEN with multiple roles at his old club, including in the W program, the media department and as a club ambassador. 

The Bulldogs would like Murphy to return in a similar capacity around his media commitments in 2025.

Murphy is one of the club’s favourite sons after playing 312 games across 18 seasons in red, white and blue before he retired in 2017. 

Luke Beveridge, Easton Wood and Robert Murphy after the Grand Final between Sydney and the Western Bulldogs at the MCG, October 1, 2016. Picture: AFL Media

After widespread change and two different reviews, the Dogs aren’t expected to make many, if any, changes to the football department this off-season.

This time last year they poached Matt Egan from Geelong and promoted him to GM over the pre-season, also adding Daniel Pratt from West Coast, who was voted assistant coach of the year by the AFL Coaches Association earlier this month. 

Former St Kilda captain Jarryn Geary joined the club as development and leadership coach and will continue to run the leadership program at the kennel. 

Premiership Sydney defender Alex Johnson also returned to clubland as a development coach, where he spent 2024 working closely with the young key position players at the Whitten Oval.