Murray Witcombe
Geelong
AFL career
121 games79 goals
- Debut
- R6 1976 v COL8 May 1976
- Most recent
- R17 1986 v NTH26 July 1986
Stats
1986 | GEE | 4 | 10.5 | 7.8 | 18.3 | 4.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 |
1985 | GEE | 2 | 9.0 | 10.0 | 19.0 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
1984 | GEE | 10 | 13.6 | 6.4 | 20.0 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.4 |
1983 | GEE | 12 | 13.4 | 5.2 | 18.6 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.6 |
1982 | GEE | 11 | 15.5 | 3.8 | 19.4 | 3.3 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
1981 | GEE | 24 | 16.1 | 4.1 | 20.3 | 3.8 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.8 |
1980 | GEE | 20 | 15.3 | 4.8 | 20.1 | 3.5 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.3 |
1979 | GEE | 10 | 8.5 | 4.0 | 12.5 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
1978 | GEE | 9 | 10.6 | 4.6 | 15.1 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.1 |
1977 | GEE | 10 | 10.9 | 2.9 | 13.8 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.8 |
1976 | GEE | 9 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Bio
Recruited from the nearby township of Inverleigh and Geelong College, Murray Witcombe was a local product who carved out a niche as a hard-running wingman and half-forward for the Cats. Standing 182cm, he was slightly taller than the average mid-sized flanker of his era, a trait he used to his advantage as a strong overhead mark ("a good flyer") and a reliable link player. While he spent his early seasons fighting for a consistent spot in the senior side, often drifting between the reserves and the bench, he established himself as a vital component of the Geelong midfield by the turn of the decade.
Witcombe’s career peak coincided with the club's resurgence under Billy Goggin in the early 1980s. He was a prolific ball-winner during the 1980 and 1981 seasons, playing in both of the club's heartbreaking Preliminary Final losses to Collingwood. His 1981 campaign was particularly outstanding, where he became one of the team’s most consistent possession winners, providing drive along the expanses of VFL Park and the MCG. Despite his ability to find the football and hit the scoreboard, Witcombe struggled to maintain his place in the side during the mid-1980s as injuries and form fluctuated, eventually playing his final senior games in 1986 before retiring as a dedicated servant of the club.
Profile
- Born
- 01 Nov 1956 (age 69y 354d)
- Height
- 182 cm
- Weight
- 72 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionRecruited from the nearby township of Inverleigh and Geelong College, Murray Witcombe was a local product who carved out a niche as a hard-running wingman and half-forward for the Cats. Standing 182cm, he was slightly taller than the average mid-sized flanker of his era, a trait he used to his advantage as a strong overhead mark ("a good flyer") and a reliable link player. While he spent his early seasons fighting for a consistent spot in the senior side, often drifting between the reserves and the bench, he established himself as a vital component of the Geelong midfield by the turn of the decade.
Witcombe’s career peak coincided with the club's resurgence under Billy Goggin in the early 1980s. He was a prolific ball-winner during the 1980 and 1981 seasons, playing in both of the club's heartbreaking Preliminary Final losses to Collingwood. His 1981 campaign was particularly outstanding, where he became one of the team’s most consistent possession winners, providing drive along the expanses of VFL Park and the MCG. Despite his ability to find the football and hit the scoreboard, Witcombe struggled to maintain his place in the side during the mid-1980s as injuries and form fluctuated, eventually playing his final senior games in 1986 before retiring as a dedicated servant of the club.