However, this was overturned on appeal, after video evidence showed that Murphy had been incorrectly disciplined by the referee, and he lined out against Laois in the final at Croke Park.
[5] In March 2009, while playing for the Swans Reserves in the AFL Canberra league, Murphy badly injured his shoulder, requiring surgery, just weeks after being forced out of football by a foot injury.
[6] After two years in Sydney, Murphy decided to turn down the offer of a contract extension to return to Ireland in late 2009 and resume his Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) career.
[citation needed] Murphy and Rathvilly returned to the Carlow Senior Football Championship final in October 2010, again facing Old Leighlin.
[citation needed] In 2011, Murphy missed almost all of Carlow's NFL Division 4 campaign due to an ankle injury sustained in their second game against Fermanagh.
In the Carlow Senior Football Championship, Rathvilly finished top of Group A, but lost the semi-final to Palatine, who had also beaten them in the 1st round encounter between the two teams.
[tone] Under new manager Anthony Rainbow, Carlow won their first game in Thurles against Tipperary, before scraping a home win against London.
However, Laois gradually began to exert dominance at midfield, with man of the match (and former Minor rival of Murphy's) John O'Loughlin in flying form,[tone] and eventually ran out winners by 3-13 to 0-12.
The crucial moment was a point-blank save by Old Leighlin keeper James Clarke in the 52nd minute, where a goal would have given Rathvilly the lead for the first time in the game.
There was much speculation as to the reason, with varying theories suggesting a fallout with manager Rainbow, or the need to avoid injury ahead of deployment abroad with the army.
As captain, Murphy had the honour of lifting the trophy, though his involvement was limited by injury (he left the field after 38 minutes) and he failed to register a score.
Murphy's return to the panel, and the addition of several new players, was a huge boost and Carlow had a decent run of results in the O'Byrne Cup, including victory over Louth, and a near miss against Kildare, losing to a last minute goal.
Murphy received black cards in the dying stages of both the game against Waterford and against Wicklow, as he sought to preserve what Carlow held.
Despite some positive results, an injury to star forward Paul Broderick in Belfast was to serve as a big blow to both their league and championship ambitions as he did not participate again for the rest of the season.
Carlow travelled to Tullamore on St Patrick's weekend, knowing that their game with Offaly would go a long way to deciding their promotion fate, and that of their hosts.
Darragh O'Brien's goal put Carlow in control midway through the second half at 1-9 to 0-9, but Murphy left the field of play (injured) with 15 minutes remaining and his absence was a turning point as Offaly fought their way back and came out on top by 0-14 to 1-10 with a score in injury time.
A few weeks before Carlow's Leinster SFC first round encounter with local rivals Laois, Murphy informed Turlough O'Brien that he was leaving the panel in order to travel to New York City for the summer.
Carlow's 2016 league campaign began with a home defeat to Antrim, but the scallioneaters were given renewed hope with to a 4-4 to 1-11 victory in London, thanks in large part to a Sean Gannon hat-trick.
Timely goals from Chris Blake and Darragh O'Brien kept them in touch, despite Louth's superior firepower, and Brendan Murphy contributed two points from midfield.
Murphy was a key man in the victory, bursting through the Wicklow defence to score Carlow's goal after 5 minutes, and adding four fine points over the course of the game.
Added to two yellow cards received in the league, this meant Murphy had to sit out the next round game against Cavan at Breffni Park.
London took a huge lead into the break with the help of a wind, and though Carlow closed the gap, they were too wasteful to catch up with the Exiles, eventually losing by five points.
Carlow's historic trip to the 3rd round (their first ever) resulted in a visit to Dr. Cullen Park from Monaghan, who had only missed out on a place in the Division One final of the National League on score difference.
Murphy scored two excellent points from play and put in a terrific (and indeed a much more disciplined) shift at right half forward, but Carlow's brave performance was in vain.
In the club championship, Rathvilly suffered yet another county final defeat (their second in a row and the fourth of Murphy's career) when they were beaten by Eire Og, 2-8 to 1-8, in a replay.
Shortly after the defeat to Laois at Croke Park he announced that he would be leaving the panel ahead of the Leinster championship campaign to spend the summer in America.
He therefore missed Carlow's return to Croke Park to face Laois (again) in the Leinster semi-final, losing by 0-12 to 0-8, before exiting the championship altogether at the hands of eventual All-Ireland finalists Tyrone.
Murphy was subsequently missing for Carlow's championship campaign for the second year in a row - this time as a result of a suspension incurred for verbally abusing the referee after a close defeat to Down in Round 6 of the National Football League.
Murphy finished as top scorer of the 2019 Carlow Senior Football Championship for Rathvilly with a tally of 3-14 all of which were scored from play, averaging 5.7 points per game.
Rathvilly reached the Covid-delayed 2020 county final (played in 2021), where they lost 0-15 to 0-9 to an Eire Og team claiming their fourth championship in a row.