Murray Newman

DOB

18/11/1993

Height

179cm

Weight

70 kg

Junior club

Swan Districts/Upper Swan JFC

Arrived

Pick 23 in the 2011 national draft
Pick 38 in the 2014 rookie draft

Number

38

Debut

Round 14 2012 vs Gold Coast
(205th Eagles player)

Games

6

Goals

4

B&F Top 10

0

Best Finish

29th (2015)

Last app.

Round 22 2015 vs Adelaide

Departed

Delisted at the end of the 2015 season

Other clubs

Swan Districts (WAFL) 2011-2013, 2016
East Perth (WAFL) 2014-2015
Kelmscott (WAAFL) 2017

Murray Newman is a clever small forward/midfielder from Swan Districts who was West Coast's first selection in the 2011 draft. He played four games in his rookie season, but went off the rails the following offseason. Newman was demoted to the rookie list for the 2014 season while awaiting trial on grievous bodily harm charges, at which he was found guilty, and subsequently spent the entire season in prison. He was retained on the rookie list for 2015 upon his release.

West Coast career[]

After being picked up from Swan Districts in the 2011 draft, Newman was called up for a debut midway through the 2012 season. He came on as the sub against Gold Coast and immediately excited with 13 touches and 2 goals. Newman played the next three games before dropping back to Swan Districts for the remainder of the season.

The following offseason was a disaster. Newman was charged with grievous bodily harm after a fight outside a Northbridge nightclub, and then showed up to pre-season training out of shape, being beaten by his 44-year-old coach John Worsfold in a time trial. He showed patchy form for Swans for half a season (not helped by a knee injury), before storming out of a WAFL game at quarter time without letting club officials know where he was heading. The club then placed him on indefinite leave to deal with his off-field issues.

With his GBH trial looming, Newman was delisted by West Coast and then placed on the rookie list. He was found guilty but played in a couple of pre-season games while awaiting sentencing. On the eve of the 2014 season he was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, with a minimum non-parole period of six months. At the time, the club released a statement confirming they would stand by Newman while he served his time, and when he was released in September 2014 he returned to the club.

Playing as a small forward, Newman looked good on his return to WAFL football, despite his early season being interrupted by a finger tendon injury. He was promoted off the rookie list late in the 2015 season and made two AFL appearances, his first since 2012, starting both as the substitute. Although he was offered a further one-year rookie contract, Newman decided he was too mentally fatigued for the rigours of AFL duties.

Post-AFL career[]

Newman returned to Swan Districts but played just one game for the Swans before again stepping away from the game due to personal issues. He appeared for amateur club Kelmscott in 2017.