WESTERN Bulldogs great Bob Murphy is set to be the latest former skipper to return to the Whitten Oval, ahead of the club's centennial season in the VFL/AFL.
Murphy will join Brad Johnson and Easton Wood in an official capacity back at the kennel, months after returning from a stint with Fremantle in Perth.
The 42-year-old spent three seasons with the Dockers in a variety of roles under Justin Longmuir, most recently working as Fremantle's head of leadership before choosing to return to Melbourne with his family.
Murphy is expected to have a leadership and culture role inside the football department at Mission Whitten Oval, complementing the leadership program run by former St Kilda captain Jarryn Geary.
Ahead of a crucial year for the club, and for out-of-contract premiership coach Luke Beveridge, who famously called the injured Murphy onto the Grand Final dais and handed over the Jock McHale Medal after the Dogs ended a 62-year flag drought in 2016, Murphy's appointment is a well-timed boost for the football club.
Murphy will also work with the commercial and media departments, like he did following his retirement in 2017 when he combined his media commitments at SEN with his roles at the Western Bulldogs.
The two-time All-Australian, who played 312 games for the club across 18 seasons, will spend time across the season with captain Marcus Bontempelli and the eight-man leadership group, which was announced earlier this week.
Western Bulldogs games-record holder Johnson will continue in his role as goalkicking coach in 2025, around his media commitments with Fox Footy and SEN.
After an off-season overhaul at the end of the 2023 season, the Bulldogs have made fewer changes since they exited last year's finals series in week one.
Club great Chris Grant departed the club in December after running the football department, with list manager Sam Power stepping up on an interim basis since then.
Former Collingwood premiership defender Ben Reid was added to the development team, following the departure of Jamie Maddocks to West Coast.
The Dogs launch their 100-year celebrations on Saturday when they host Essendon in a match simulation in front of a sold-out crowd at Mission Whitten Oval.
