Michael Murphy turned down AFL clubs…because he loves Donegal so much

Home is where the heart is for Michael Murphy.

That's why he never accepted lucrative contract offers to go to the AFL and to become a professional athlete. It's why he was always pining for Donegal of a Friday evening after his lectures in DCU. One of the best things about being Irish is our culture and our pride of place. Every conversation we have with a stranger is fixated on our roots and our area. We'll always find ourselves angling towards that telling question, and then, right then, that's when you strike it off with them.

"So, where are you from? Ah sure I know loads of lads from there."

And we're always waiting for it, too. We love telling people what county we're from, what club we're from. We love boasting about our local parish and the best things about it. And why wouldn't we? Isn't it just class when the stranger who's not a stranger anymore knows something about you and your area or your people. That's what it's all about because no matter how far away we stray, we'll never forget our roots and we'll always come back to them. Michael Murphy loves Donegal. He loves life in the hills, he loves kicking football with the lads from Glenswilly and representing his county. The GAA is based on community spirit and that buzz, that feeling of doing your own people proud, that's what sustains Michael Murphy. It's what he lives for. Murphy has been Ireland's best player in the International Rules series for ages. His combination of strength and skill. His ability to to turn a game on its head in an instant and his ability to build up a frightening head of steam and momentum makes him tailor made for the AFL game. And that's why loads of Australian clubs tabled offers to lure him over.

"There was a couple of times where there was things there on the table to go and explore that little bit more," said the 28-year-old to us at the third Sport Industry awards.

But his head was never turned. Why would he go to Australia when he had heaven on earth right on his doorstep in Donegal?

"Being honest, I love the game and I love watching AFL. Fair play to the lads that did go down and went on there."

But Michael Murphy was never even tempted. He modestly said he would have struggled with the game and we all know that's not true. Then, his true colours emerged.

"Number one, the game would have been tough for me, but being away from home, I couldn't have done it."

"The way I grew up and it's still the way I am, I just want to be at home in Donegal and to be home around Glenswilly, to be playing football with the club and county. "Football and home life. That's what I enjoy, I enjoy being about Donegal. Even when I was here for my four years in DCU, I enjoyed that time, but that Friday night calling to get home after all of the lectures was always nice. "I just like it in Donegal and that's where I see myself, you know," he said.

This man has green and gold coursing through his veins. His broad shoulders are lined with Donegal culture, with Glenswilly culture. That's why Donegal's struggles last year were so tough for him to accept. They've gnawed away at him.

“Over the summer and then winter months those defeats were hard to take. As individuals we just didn't perform. We didn't carry the performance levels from the League to the Championship," he said.

But now he's hungry, now he's baying for the great days they had in the past.

"It's very hard to make big statements here now saying we want to go and do this and we want to go and win that. "But you definitely do believe in the back of your head, and I do believe, that we have the capabilities. "That's not a headline, but we really need to go and show it on the Saturdays and Sundays."

Who'd bet against them? It's no wonder he's so widely admired. Michael Murphy launches the third Sport Industry Awards which recognises and rewards excellence in the business of sport, while simultaneously highlighting the contribution of sport to Ireland and will be held at Dublin City Hall on 22^nd February 2018.