Murphy, the man of the moment: Australian star on life with an acquired brain injury

When faced with the prospect of an acquired brain injury (ABI), some footballers might just give up their sporting hopes altogether.

On World Head Injury Awareness Day, Australia’s Augustine Murphy illustrates how he does not fit into that bracket, now a fixture in his country’s cerebral palsy (CP) men’s national team.

“I was introduced to the  CP Football program through my physio because she knew I played football, and she knew of CP Football,” Murphy explains.

“Luckily, they said that I was eligible due to the physical disability of my right-sided limbs from the brain surgeries.”

The man from Granville (half an hour west of Sydney, NSW) made his international debut in 2018 as part of the Para 7-a-side Invitational held in San Diego, USA. He started Australia’s first game of that tournament, as the United States of America ran out 8-0 winners.

Since then, Murphy has found his place in his team and our game, featuring in three IFCPF Men’s World Cup squads for the green and gold. In spite of this, there are some misconceptions around his disability, with some mistaking his ABI for cerebral palsy.

“I commonly get people asking me what my cerebral palsy side is, or just assuming I have CP, maybe because the majority of people in the game have CP.

“Even though it is called CP Football, and the majority of players in the game are affected by CP, there are still two other ways people with disabilities can be a part of Para football, and that’s if they have had an ABI or a stroke. 

“I hope people know that it’s not just CP that can make you eligible.”

Across his 29 appearances for Australia, the striker has cemented his place in national team history, with some huge goals.

Of the nine times he has netted for the Pararoos, four came in one ruthless afternoon. Salou was the location as his team faced regional rivals Thailand, and few might have predicted what was to come. With two goals in his career heading into the match, his breakout showing blew that out of the water.

Murphy scored two goals in two minutes, the second of those to complete his hat-trick, and the confidence that looked visible was true. It was a tournament that made him.

“The 2024 World Cup was definitely my breakthrough tournament, and it felt amazing. I felt like it unlocked the confidence and ability I always knew I had. 

“Since then, my confidence has gone through the roof, and my performances are only getting better going forward. I have no reason not to feel confident anymore because I know what I can do, and I’ve proven I can do it on the international stage now.

“It felt like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders because I knew I was capable of performances like those, but I hadn’t yet proven it on the international stage.

“It means a lot to me these days to be a Pararoo. I am very happy and fortunate to be representing my country.  I am enjoying my time with the group more than ever right now, and I would love to do this forever if I could. 

“Everyone feels like family, and all the staff are very helpful in trying to give us everything we need to succeed as much as possible. To be able to play football for your country is so thrilling and exciting, and I love the feeling.”

As a player with an ABI in a sport with so much focus on cerebral palsy football, Murphy, much like those like him, has shown he absolutely belongs.

There is a space for players with an ABI to thrive, and Augustine Murphy wants other footballers in his position to take the chance as well.

“100%, they should go for it. If you love football and have an ABI, you should definitely join the CP Football program. It’s so fun, and it’s a great opportunity to play football without feeling like you’re at a disadvantage.”

Augustine Murphy - national team player, goalscorer, trailblazer, continuing to show himself and the wider public that players with an acquired brain injury are more than an afterthought.