Football NSW kick off National Para Football Championship campaign with opening victory
Football NSW launched their pursuit of a 15th consecutive National Para Football Championships crown with a powerful opening performance, led by a clinical hat-trick from captain Augustine Murphy in their 6-1 win over Northern NSW Football at the Home of the Matildas in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Fresh off a standout CommBank Pararoos campaign at the Para Asian Cup, Murphy carried his international form straight into Nationals and is embracing the responsibility of leading the most dominant team in tournament history.
“It feels great. I’ve put everything into this since I started in 2019. I defend our title streak very proudly. I love this team,” Murphy said.
NSW have won the Championship 14 times in a row, holding the trophy for 16 years across that stretch, and now chase a 15th straight title. For Murphy, the weight of expectation is motivation.
“It feels like an exciting pressure. Once you get on a roll, you want to keep it going. Every year brings strong competition, especially this year. It’s going to be hard, but hopefully we can keep it going.”
Murphy’s current form only strengthens their defence.
“I honestly feel so good after that tournament. I’m having the time of my life. I’m really enjoying my football and playing for the Pararoos.
“It’s nice to share my football knowledge. The more of my teammates I can help, the better our team can be. Hopefully that’s enough to win us this tournament.”
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