The Melbourne Storm have lost a major community partner following their controversial decision to cancel a Welcome to Country ceremony before their Anzac Day match at AAMI Park.
The Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS), which operates the Deadly Choices campaign in Victoria and has served the Aboriginal community since 1973, announced it was ending its partnership with the NRL club. The organisation cited the treatment of respected Wurundjeri elder Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin and the club’s failure to uphold cultural respect.
VAHS described the club’s conduct as disrespectful and hurtful. “This decision made by the Melbourne Storm board demonstrated a lack of respect and cultural sensitivity towards Aboriginal people and communities,” the organisation said in a letter to club CEO Justin Rodski.
“Such an action is inconsistent with our values of respect, cultural integrity and cultural safety. The decision has initiated poor well-being, including feelings of sadness and anger among our community and stakeholders”.
Murphy Wandin had been invited to deliver the Welcome to Country ahead of the Storm’s round eight clash with South Sydney but was informed at the ground that the ceremony would not go ahead. The club later claimed its board had not approved the ceremony for Anzac Day.
Murphy Wandin said the decision was especially “hurtful” as her father was a veteran and she had intended to honour him by wearing his medals during the Welcome to Country.
Melbourne Storm put the cancellation down to a miscommunication saying that: “Once we understood the programming from management, we gave the green light to progress. By then, it was understandably too late for those who had already been informed of our earlier decision”.
The incident occurred on the same day Bunurong and Gunditjmara man Uncle Mark Brown was booed during a Welcome to Country at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance. The Storm have denied any link between the two events, but Murphy Wandin said she was told her address was considered inappropriate for the occasion.
Storm players confirmed that they were unaware of the incident until after the game.
“We as players were not entirely sure what was going on there, a little bit confused as to what was going on,” fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen said on the 167 Podcast with teammates Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster.
“We just wanted to throw our support behind Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people. That decision was above us, we weren’t sure what went on on that day. Hopefully something can get resolved there.”
Coach Craig Bellamy told reporters post-game: “I didn’t know anything about that. That’s the first I’ve heard of that.”
The club’s relationship with VAHS began in 2021. In 2022, VAHS CEO Michael Graham said the organisation was “proud to be associated with the Melbourne Storm based on the club’s own strong ties to the Aboriginal community”.
In its announcement of the split this week, VAHS made clear that trust had been broken.
“We appreciate the opportunities we have had to work together with Melbourne Storm thus far and trust that future engagements will reflect a genuine, iron-clad commitment to honouring Aboriginal lore, people and place,” VAHS said.
The backlash comes amid broader concerns over the Storm’s cultural direction. The club recently confirmed it would scale back the frequency of its Welcome to Country ceremonies, stating they will now only be held at “culturally significant celebrations.”
Melbourne Storm’s website still lists Deadly Choices and other Indigenous programs as key partnerships, including family violence service Dardi Munwurro. The club states that it “celebrates its connection to and recognition of Indigenous people across a range of partnerships and programs”.
But with VAHS walking away and the fallout ongoing, the Storm’s commitment to that connection is now under serious public scrutiny.
