When Docker Gets Delisted: What Happens When Your Best Isn’t Good Enough

Look, I’ve been in IT long enough to know that sometimes the best tool for the job isn’t the one everyone thinks it is. Same goes for sports, apparently. Ollie Murphy just got delisted by Fremantle after being told he’s not quite cutting it compared to the club’s other key defenders. The irony isn’t lost on me—here’s a guy who did everything right, showed up, worked hard, and still found himself on the outside looking in. That’s a lesson that applies to more than just Australian football.

Getting Told You’re Not the Solution

Murphy walked out of his exit meeting knowing exactly where he stood. Fremantle made it clear: Alex Pearce and Brennan Cox are the pillars of their defense. Oscar McDonald has earned his spot for 2027 by actually showing up when it counted. Murphy? He didn’t make the cut. That’s brutal honesty, and I respect that more than corporate speak about “moving in different directions” or “exploring other opportunities.”

The thing about getting told you’re behind the curve is it forces a decision. You can either accept it and move on, or you can decide to prove them wrong. Murphy’s choosing the latter. “I won’t give up,” he’s saying. Fair enough. I’ve seen plenty of professionals get cut from projects only to land somewhere they thrived. It happens.

But here’s what matters: being behind doesn’t mean being broken. It means someone else performed better in the conditions that were given. That’s not the same as being unsuitable for the work altogether.

The Reality of Being Second Choice

In my world, I’ve seen talented developers, architects, and administrators get passed over for promotions or plum assignments. Usually it’s because someone else had the right skill set at the right time, or because they’d already proved themselves in that specific context. It stings. I get it.

What separates people who come back stronger from those who don’t is how they handle that information. Do you get defensive and blame external factors? Or do you actually look at what you were being compared against and figure out how to close the gap?

Murphy’s in that position now. Pearce and Cox aren’t household names to me, but apparently they’re getting it done for Fremantle. McDonald’s shown he can perform when called up. So the question for Murphy is: what would it take to outperform them? Is it tactical work? Fitness? Reading the game differently? Or is it simply that another club will value his skill set more highly?

Sometimes the problem isn’t that you’re not good enough—it’s that you’re not a good fit for where you are right now.

What Actually Matters Going Forward

If Murphy gets another shot elsewhere, the real test will be how he performs in a different environment. Same skill set, different context, potentially different coaching and team structure. That’s when you learn if you were truly underutilized or if you were genuinely behind.

I’ve seen professionals bounce between companies, each time telling themselves the last place just didn’t get them. Usually by the third or fourth move, there’s a pattern emerging. Either they’re genuinely talented but unlucky, or there’s something about how they operate that doesn’t translate well. Hard to know which until you see someone actually succeed at the next opportunity.

The determination Murphy’s showing—the “I won’t give up” mentality—that counts for something. Attitude matters. But it only matters if you’re also willing to do the actual work of improvement. Sitting around angry about Pearce and Cox getting opportunities won’t cut it. He needs to get somewhere, earn some games, and perform well enough that people stop comparing him unfavorably to others.

Look, this is how competition works. Sometimes you’re not ready yet, or you’re not the right person for the role, or circumstances just break a different way. Murphy’s response—refusing to pack it in—tells me he’s got the right mindset. Whether that’s enough? That depends on whether he can actually deliver when the next opportunity shows up. And that’s where intentions meet reality.

Source: ‘I won’t give up’: Delisted Docker eyeing another AFL chance