By the time Molloy's beloved Aussie classic Crackerjack came out, Murphy had already competed at two Commonwealth Games. She went on to three more, among a host of other honours, and says the bowls team always got a rockstar reception thanks to the cult film whenever the Games rolled around.

"Crackerjack the movie helped," Murphy said.

"Every time the Commonwealth Games come around, we had a cult following. When we played on the Gold Coast in 2018, heaps of people came to watch, it was the trendy sport to go and see. It was great."

It's certainly not something she could've imagined when she first took up the sport as an 11-year-old at Shoalhaven Heads.

"I was 11 years old when I took up the game with Dad at Shoalhaven Heads because it was something we could share as father and daughter," Murphy said.

"I was the only young girl at the time so I was quite unique. I've always been very sporty, I represented in touch football, cricket and pretty much every sport there was at school, but it wasn't very cool to play bowls when I was in my teens.

"My careers advisor at Bomaderry High School said 'what do you want to do when you leave school?' and I told him I wanted to play bowls full-time. It was crazy, it had never been done before, certainly not by a young girl.

"I was very lucky when I left high school that I got a job at Warilla Bowling Club, I worked behind the bar at night and played when I needed to during the day. I've been very, very fortunate to make a career out of it ever since."

'Making a career of it' is underselling things a touch, with a resume including 668 Tests, five Commonwealth Games for a gold medal and three silver as well as world championships in singles, triples and fours.

They're just part of a lengthy list of achievements that saw her become the the inaugural inductee into both the Bowls Australia and Bowls NSW Halls of Fame in 2012 and 2016 respectively. It requires a hefty mantlepiece, but her latest honour, being awarded the Member of the Order of Australia on Australia Day, was certainly the most unexpected.

"It's a bit of a shock, it's a huge honour to have bestowed on you," Murphy said.

"You win things and achieve things but you don't really associate those sort of achievements with this type of thing. I don't really feel like it's mine, I feel like it's for everyone who's been a part of my journey, my family, my friends, my sponsors my club.

"Any sporting career has its highs and it's had its lows, I retired just over 12 months ago after 23 years of playing bowls for Australia, and it's just been an awesome journey.

"Bowls is one of those sports where the stereotype is that it's an old person's sport but I'm really proud of how I've seen a change in the sport and the stereotype."

If there's one thing she's is most proud of, it's that.

"I feel like I've been a bit of trailblazer, certainly in women's bowls," she said.

"I really hope that in some small way I did break down some barriers and that some young girls did take up the sport because they saw someone like me playing.

"While it is a sport that the older generation can play, it's very inclusive now in that there's a lot of young players, people with disabilities. That's been pleasing for me to see that change and people can see that bowls is great sport for all.

"You can go to Commonwealth Games and World Championships and things like that and really achieve in the sport. If you'd told me that when I was in my teens I wouldn't have believed you because it had never been done before. If I had a legacy, I would hope that would be a part of it."

Mrs Karen MURPHY AM, Shell Cove, NSW

For significant service to lawn bowls as an elite player at the international level.

Vice-Captain, Australian Jackaroos, 2011-2017.

Australian Jackaroo 1997- 2019.

Played 668 Tests for Australia over 22 years.

Commonwealth Games 2018, 2014, 2006, 2002, and 1998.

5 X World Championships.

World Champion Triples Champion 2012.

Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist Pairs 2006.

World Ladies Singles Champion, 2016 and 2012.

World Indoor Champion, 2012.

Professional Bowler, Cabramatta Bowls Club, Sydney.

4 x Gold Medalist, Asia Pacific Championships.

World Champion of Champion Singles, 2013.

World Fours Champion, 2012.

3 x Commonwealth Games Silver Medals 1998, 2002 and 2014.

Awards and Recognition include:

Director, World Bowls, 2014-2018.

Inaugural inductee, Bowls NSW Hall of Fame, 2016.

Bowler of the Year, Bowls Australia, 2013 and 2014.

Inaugural inductee, Bowls Australia Hall of Fame, 2011.

Australian Sports Medal, 2000.

2018 Commonwealth Games Athlete Oath Reader Opening Ceremony.

High Performance Coach, Karen Murphy Bowls Clinics.