When you’re a Legend of the AFL Hall of Fame, a Brownlow medalist and nine time Fitzroy best and fairest, birthdays can be pretty busy.

Kevin “Bulldog” Murray is footballing royalty in Melbourne but he is also a beloved figure among the Brisbane Lions’ faithful and his phone rang hot yesterday with well wishes from the Sunshine State.

“I’ve had to turn my phone off, because you never get anything done,’’ he said.

“It has been a very, very busy time.

“I’ve had some lovely calls from people in Brisbane wishing me well.’’

 Murray said the Covid 19 pandemic had not had a major impact on his life because he lived a quiet existence on his rural property outside of Shepparton.

But when you have dedicated more then three quarters of a century to the game, the cold days of Autumn and early winter without that weekly ritual felt empty.

“I missed it a lot,’’ he says.

The return to play has restored the equilibrium in his life, the only problem now is he fears he might not get to Brisbane this year to watch the Lions play at the Gabba.

After seeing the side return to the finals last year Murray is excited to see what they can achieve this season.

The talent assembled and developed is unquestioned, but Murray says it is the dedication to constant improvement and the bond within the club that has led to the Lions’ resurgence.

“I love going up there because it is great to see the progress that is being made by our younger payers and the improvement in them from year to year,’’ he said.

“They have a close bond in that group which is fantastic

“They are grown men and they love each other as teammates, you would do anything for them and they would do anything for you and that’s where the inspiration goes to make you a better team.’’

Murray has seen plenty of changes in the way the game is played over the years and readily admits he is a fan of old style footy.

But he says there is one area of football that never changes and it is the one bit of advice he’s always happy to pass on to younger players.

“The secret to playing footy is it’s the first yard that counts, it’s not the last yard, you have to be quick off the mark,’’ he said.

“And you have to keep watching the flight of the ball, even if it is down the other end of the ground, you keep watching so you can attack the footy when it comes your way.’’