There have been and will continue to be many words said and written in tribute to retiring Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy this weekend.

And appearing on ABC Radio ahead of Friday night’s game against Hawthorn, legendary singer songwriter and long-time Murphy family friend, Paul Kelly is one of those voices.

How to do justice to the 35-year-old’s impact on the football club, particularly in the past three years is difficult, but Kelly, unsurprisingly finds a way.

“The way he took over the captaincy and really guided the Dogs through and then being such a part of the premiership without being, I can’t think of any other situation that it compares to when someone was absent from the field, but almost because of that they were more present in every other way,” Kelly said.

“Those leaders are rare and they linger a long time.”

Murphy credited Kelly with providing ‘spiritual sustenance’ during this farewell press conference a couple of weeks back, but a humble Kelly said he gets as much as he gives.

“It’s a very generous thing to say, but that kind of thing doesn’t occur one way, it’s an exchange.”