By Benjamin Millar
Legendary Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy has joined forces with author Tony Wilson to refashion his acclaimed memoir, tailoring it to younger readers.
A Boy Called Bob Becomes an AFL Footballer finds Murphy and Wilson tracing the true story of how Murphy became one of the greatest AFL captains of all time, steering his team from one of its darkest periods to the brink of the 2016 premiership.
Aimed at readers aged nine to 12, it tells the story of a young boy called Bob – a little scrawny, a little scruffy, and prone to sniffing footballs.
Determined to follow in his hero Matthew Richardson’s footsteps and become one of the game’s greats, Bob overcomes pesky siblings and a school footy oval made of gravel to get drafted to the Western Bulldogs at 17 and enjoy a 17-year playing career with the club.
Murphy and Wilson dropped by Yarraville’s Masonic Hall last week to help launch the book in an event hosted by the Young Sun bookshop.
Flanked by dozens of young fans, the pair told the tale of how they had created the book, echoing the storyline of Murphy’s 2018 memoir Leather Soul: A Half-back Flanker’s Rhythm and Blues.
A Boy Called Bob Becomes an AFL Footballer is out now on Piccolo Nero.
