Damien Murray

Recruited from West Adelaide via the Renmark Riverland district, Damien Murray was a towering but lightly-built ruckman taken by North Melbourne with pick 80 in the 1989 National Draft. Standing at 199cm but weighing just 81kg, he was a long-term development prospect who spent the 1990 season attempting to build his frame in the reserves to compete with the era's physical ruck divisions. He finally earned his senior call-up early in the 1991 season, making his debut against the Brisbane Bears and holding his spot for a subsequent match against Essendon. Despite his height advantage, Murray struggled to secure a permanent place in a Kangaroos squad that was beginning to assemble the key position talent that would define their 1990s success, and he was delisted after just two senior appearances. His career remains notable largely for defying the odds of his draft position, being one of the rare players selected at pick 80 to ever play a senior VFL/AFL game.