John P. Murphy (born 12 January 1945) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the early 1970s. A ruck-rover, he spent four seasons at South Melbourne after sitting out of football in 1969 while he awaited a clearance. When Murphy made his debut in the opening round of the 1970 season against Melbourne at Lake Oval, he was one of a group of five making their first appearances, including Gary Brice and Ricky Quade. He finished with 58 games and returned to his original club, Sturt, in 1974.