On Thursday, August 8 Anita Murphy was inducted as a Life Member of the Sydney Swans after 18 years of service to the club.   

Speaking to Sydney Swans Media the customer operations manager said it was not only an honour personally, but a special achievement for her family.   

“You don’t really come to work to get these kinds of accolades, but it means that I’ve got a connection to the club for the rest of my life,” Murphy reflected.   

“It’s a club that means a lot to me and my family – they’re part of the club as much as what I am.”

Life membership is awarded to staff members after 15 years of consecutive service. Murphy’s journey with the Sydney Swans began as a membership intern during her university studies in 2006.  

At the conclusion of her degree Murphy joined the club full-time in corporate partnerships and served as an account manager for the likes of QBE Insurance, a milestone she describes as a “big achievement”.   

“I then took a bit of a sideways step and worked on reception for about 18 months. I really loved the social aspect of being at reception as it connected into our membership and consumer team.” 

In April 2022, Murphy transitioned to her current role as customer operations manager. She has seen the Swans appear in six AFL grand finals during her tenure but says her proudest moment was being involved in Sydney’s 2012 premiership.  

The team-first, one-in-all-in mentality of the on-field team was evident in Swans staff off the field in the making of the 2012 premiership, with Murphy recalling how staff rolled up the sleeves to do whatever was needed to help – including taking on some unusual tasks.  

“For the 2012 win we were tasked to go and find poles that could be used as flagpoles for a parade down George Street – you just did whatever was needed and it was so much fun along the way.” 

Another highlight for Murphy was the first AFLW finals campaign which saw the Sydney Swans upset the Gold Coast Suns to claim their first ever finals victory. In what is a rarity for Murphy, she was able to watch the game as a fan.  

“It was probably one of the best games of footy I’ve watched. I didn’t have role on the day so I just turned up and watched the footy. It was phenomenal. 

“Watching the development of women’s footy has been really special. We will always love the men’s footy but I’m excited to see AFLW grow and see that competition become fully professional,” she said.