Leo Murphy

Recruited from Heidelberg in the Diamond Valley, Leo Murphy became a defensive pillar for Hawthorn during the club’s difficult "Mayblooms" era of the 1930s. He initially established himself on the half-back flank and back pocket before finding his true calling as a fullback, where his reliability and strength under siege were vital for a team that often found itself defending deep. Murphy’s individual quality shone through despite the team's struggles, and he etched his name into club history by becoming the first Hawthorn player to win back-to-back Best and Fairest awards in 1936 and 1937.

Beyond his own on-field contributions, Murphy is best known as the patriarch of one of football’s most distinguished dynasties. He is the father of Fitzroy legend John Murphy and the grandfather of Carlton captain Marc Murphy, making them the first father-son-grandson trio in VFL/AFL history to each play 100 senior games. While Leo was a loyal Hawthorn life member, his legacy is somewhat unique in that neither his son nor grandson followed him to the club, with John famously turning down the Hawks' offer of Leo’s number 16 guernsey to carve out his own path at Fitzroy.