Nathan Murphy

2023 Collingwood premiership player Nathan Murphy succumbed to the after-effects of concussions (including his 10^th in the 2023 Grand Final) and announced his retirement. He is only 24 years old. Earlier in the year, he stepped away from the club in an attempt to recover and return to play. However, on advice from the medical concussion panel, he has decided to retire. In making the announcement, he said, “I feel it is the right time and the right decision for me to hang up my footy boots. I love my football, but my priority is on my future and ensuring I live a full and healthy life. I’d like to thank the Club, coaches, teammates, staff, and the Magpie Army for all their support throughout my playing career and for allowing me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream of playing AFL. To my family and friends, I couldn’t have gone through this journey without your continued love and support which I am so grateful for. It is not lost on me how fortunate I am to have been able to experience premiership success ... I hope I did the jumper proud and thank the many people and supporters who helped me along the way. I will forever cherish the memories and friends I’ve made ...”.

In mid-February, Collingwood signed three players via the preseason Supplementary Selection Period (SSP): Lachie Sullivan, Jack Bytel, and Josh Eyre. Sullivan, 26 years old, has been a star midfielder for the Western Bulldogs in the VFL where he won two best and fairest awards. He was named to the VFL team of the year in 2022 and 2023. Bytel, 23 years old, was drafted by St Kilda in 2018 and played 22 games before being delisted at the end of 2024. Bytel is also a midfielder. Eyre, aged 21, was a member of Essendon's Next Generation Academy and was elevated to Essendon's VFL list in 2022. He joined Collingwood's VFL program last season. He recently underwent surgery for a tendon tear and won't return to training until late April.