The AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal in August last year suspended him for 18 months, having agreed he had not sought a performance edge. This ban included time served, which allowed Murray to begin training with the Seagulls from December 17. The ban officially ended on February 27. Reflecting on his rugged year, Murray said he "inadvertently" came into contact with the drug on the Wednesday night before the test but insists he does not know how. I did lose a big love of the game because that was taken from me. I am glad I am back. "I can't say exactly say how because we couldn't, even through all the backlogging of what happened, put our finger on how. There were contributing reasons why and how it could [have happened] but never how exactly. It's an interesting one," he told The Age. "What made it so hard was I just didn't know what had happened and I was serving a really long ban for something I didn't have an idea of what had happened. It's an interesting one."

Asked if he could explain those contributing issues, he replied: "I can't actually say anything because I don't know if any of them are true. For me to speak about it would just be an assumption." The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency said the Australian Sports Drug Testing Laboratory had detected the presence of benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in Murray's system. A metabolite is the by-product of a drug that remains when the body metabolises that drug, meaning Murray did not technically have cocaine in his system. As reported by The Age in October, sources said Murray had taken cocaine a week earlier – while on a night out after a match against North Melbourne – and traces of the drug had remained on clothing or another item that he later came in contact with again on or close to match day. This was the "inadvertent" contact that prompted a positive test. What made it so hard was ... I was serving a really long ban for something I didn't have an idea of what had happened. It's an interesting one.

This had come at a time when he was dealing with mental health issues, in particular anxiety, and had sought help from a psychologist. The death of his 13-year-old cousin in a farming incident had also rocked him and his family. Now refreshed and with a clear state of mind, Murray said being able to return to training in December had been a significant moment. "For me, I had a four-year ban sitting in front of my face and that would still not be close to finishing. To be able to prove my case and get it down with some support and legal help to an 18-month period, that I could play round one this year, was a great result and I am thrilled. I am really happy," he said. "I have found myself again and that's a big thing to say. To find yourself, you have to lose yourself. I dealt with a lot and there is more I had to deal with than what the public will ever know at this point in terms of how I felt. It's pretty hard to speak about how you feel sometimes and it's hard to go back on certain things. "For me, I find myself now in genuinely happy place, a controlled person who is really happy with where they are at in life and in terms of family. That has been really good for my football.

"I feel really good in terms of my football. The ultimate dream for me is to my find myself back on an [AFL] list, whether that be in a very short period of time, with something coming up like the mid-season draft, or in the longer term. I have been able to get myself mentally right which has contributed to me putting my best foot forward." Loading The Seagulls have been delighted with Murray's application at training and what he will bring to the team on the field. That he will be playing alongside his brother Nick, who played for Greater Western Sydney's Academy and the Allies in 2019, has added to the family feel he is enjoying. "I have been able to come back through a system and a footy club that, I guess, is really, really family-based and has a strong culture," he said. "To me, it has been what I needed to find that love and passion for footy again. I was dealing with a lot of things at Collingwood ... there was a time when it [football] was not a priority at all. I did lose a big love of the game because that was taken from me. I am glad I am back."

Murray said how to deal with mental health problems remained a major issue in the AFL. He said clubs needed to have a more personalised system and urged players to not be afraid to come forward and seek help. He said he held no grudge towards Magpies coach Nathan Buckley but remains bitterly disappointed that the club delisted him last year. Murray met with Melbourne and Greater Western Sydney during last year's trade period but said there had been no deal offered to him and his manager Nick Gieschen.