Murphy’s versatility benefits Valkyries for almost a decade

Saskatoon closes WWCFL regular season with perfect 4-0 mark

Kelsey Murphy returns a kick for the Valkyries.

Becoming part of the Saskatoon Valkyries family allowed Kelsey Murphy to become a better supporter of the football exploits of her two younger brothers.

Murphy joined the Valkyries way back in their 2014 WWCFL championship season and has been with the powerhouse women’s football squad ever since. The veteran defensive back has spent the most consecutive seasons with the team out of anyone on the current roster at nine, which is also good for the most total campaigns spent on the squad as a player with the club’s current lineup.

When Murphy joined the Valkryies in 2014, she fell in love with the game of football quickly. The now 29-year-old admitted she actually didn’t have any warm feelings for the sport until she became a member of the Valkyries.

“Before that, I didn’t like football,” said Murphy. “I didn’t want to watch it, when my family wanted to watch it.

“I regret missing a lot of my brother’s football games early on, because I wasn’t interested in it. Then, Valkyries made that space for women to be in football. For me, that is when I fell in love with it.

“Now, I’m at every game I can get to.”

By the end of Murphy’s first season with the Valkyries, her brother Liam, who is two years younger than her, had just graduated from Aden Bowman Collegiate. By that time, Liam had played tackle football for a lengthy stretch starting in Saskatoon Minor Football’s Six-A-Side program, the KFL and in the high school ranks with the Aden Bowman Collegiate Bears.

After Kelsey played her first season with the Valkyries, Liam joined the Saskatoon Hilltops as a running back and helped them win CJFL championships in all four seasons he played with the club from 2014 to 2017.

Kelsey Murphy looks to blitz from the halfback position.

The elder sister didn’t ignore all her brother’s games before she joined the Valkyries, but she was a regular in the stands at all his games with the Hilltops.

“I would go to his games, but I wasn’t watching it because I didn’t know the sport,” said Murphy, who stands 5-foot-5. “I felt like a big outsider to football.

“Once I started playing Valks, I was at every game watching him, because I was like, ‘This is so cool and exciting.’ I have an idea of what is going on now and feel like it is a space that I can be in and be excited about.”

Liam is currently a running backs coach with the Valkyries. On top of trying to get to all Liam’s games when he was with the Hilltops, Kelsey made it to as many of the high school games as she could of their youngest sibling in brother Jacob at Aden Bowman. Jacob’s tackle football days came to an end when he joined the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Men’s Track and Field team in September of 2017.

Kelsey has continued suit up to play in tackle football games for almost a half decade since Liam or Jacob last suited up to play. She is also one of the oldest active players on the Valkyries roster, and she finds the experience she has gained has become a valuable asset.

“I think there is like a big sense of comfort,” said Murphy. “I know what is coming and can do my best to welcome other people into it.

“I think that is one of my favourite things about being at this stage in football.”

On Sunday at Leibel Field in Regina, the Valkyries stormed out to a 24-0 lead in the first quarter and cruised to a 41-0 victory over the host Riot in the final regular season contest for both sides. With the win, the Valkyries officially wrapped up first place in the Prairie Conference with a 4-0 record. The Riot place second in the Prairie Conference with a 2-2 mark.

So far this season, Murphy has interceptions in each of the Valkyries two regular season home games. She returned one of those interceptions 45 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring in the Valkyries 59-0 romp over the Winnipeg Wolfpack on May 28 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

Kelsey Murphy (#85) returns an interception for the Valkyries.

Overall, Murphy loves how the Valkyries have come together this season.

“I do feel like we’ve got a lot of really new young players who are doing amazing and coming up with such skill and talent with all the development that Football Sask and all those people have been putting into women’s football,” said Murphy. “We have a great core as well of vets like Sarah (Wright) and everybody and Woj (Alex Wojcichowsky) that have been around for quite a while and are just like such good players.

“I think it is a really exciting mix.”

Murphy had seen her role with the team change quite a bit over the years. She started out as a running back in 2014 but didn’t see the field a whole lot due to how deep the club was at that position at that time.

Murphy switched over to receiver for a number of years before becoming a defensive back. On special teams, Murphy has returned kicks for a lengthy part of her career.

“I don’t think running back was necessarily the best place for me to start,” said Murphy, who has helped the Valkyries win four WWCFL titles over her playing career. “It was good, because I learned a lot about how to hold a ball going into contact and learning how to get tackled.

“Just for my size, it was like they could just push me over. Receiver was really fun, and I loved it. I’m so happy to be at DB now.

“I wish I had started there from the start, but then I wouldn’t have gotten as much practise catching and carrying the ball.”

Valkyries head coach Pat Barry came on board with the program as a position coach the same year Murphy joined the squad in 2014. At the end of the Valkyries championship campaign last season, Barry asked Murphy if she was coming back for another campaign, and Murphy said she would be back as she was having too much fun.

“She (Murphy) is just a positive person,” said Barry. “Kelsey is a great person, and she does so much for our team, and people just gravitate towards her.

Kelsey Murphy starts into a backpedal for the Valkyries.

“We always wanted the best for her. We thought she would get more playing time as a DB. She has really emerged as a great defensive back, so it is exciting.”

Away from football, Murphy has been involved in various community endeavors. On May 14, 2021, Murphy was recognized by the Saskatoon YWCA Women of Distinction Awards being named the winner of the 29 and Under Award.

Barry said Murphy has a gift when it comes to leading by example.

“Having that leadership that transfers or translates is kind of unique on our team, because as adults, they can keep playing,” said Barry, whose team has won 24 straight games overall. “It is essential.

“It really helps. It sort of teaches the younger players how we do things around here. She is great at that.”

Murphy said she has great memories of her first year coming in with a rookie group that included Ehjae Chan, Sam Matheson, Danielle Haughian and Kelsey Dick. She is still enjoying the game as much as ever now in her ninth year with the team.

Murphy wants to help the members of this year’s team create many more amazing memories. She would love to help the Valkyries win another WWCFL title also to give a nod to the coaches for all the work they’ve put in this season.

“It would be amazing,” said Murphy. “It would be awesome to win with this coaching staff that has worked so hard to kind of get us to where we are.”

The Valkyries are expecting to open the WWCFL playoffs this coming weekend with a Prairie Conference semifinal with the day and time of that contest still to be announced. They will have home-field advantage throughout the post-season including if they reach the WWCFL Championship Game.

Looking beyond this season, Murphy is expecting to continue to play with the Valkyries, but she isn’t sure how many years down the road that will continue for.

“That is a tough question, because it does just get like harder on your body,” said Murphy. “It is tough to say.

Kelsey Murphy (#85) visits some Valkyries alum after a game.

“I think a few, but I don’t know for sure.”

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