Welcome to Country debate reignited as elders hammer Storm over ceremony axing ‘shame'
Murphy, who has performed the Welcome to Country at various Melbourne events for many years, was cut from the pre-game service at the last minute ahead of the Storm's game against the Rabbitohs, in a move that left her 'broken-hearted'.
The cancellation came after several people booed the Welcome to Country ceremony at various Dawn Services around Melbourne hours before the NRL game was due to take place.
So on Friday afternoon, the Storm contacted Murphy and informed her that her services were no longer required.
Just hours later the Storm backflipped on the decision, asking Murphy to continue with her ceremony as originally planned, however, she declined.
While two First Nations groups also scheduled to perform also decided to boycott their performances in protest.
Despite Murphy opting not to continue as planned, Melbourne ran an Acknowledgement of Country message on the big screens before their Anzac commemoration.
Melbourne Storm chairman Matt Tripp has told The Age the club's handling of the Welcome to Country has 'upset me greatly'.
'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,' Tripp said, citing a lack of clarity between the board and management for the confusion.
He explained: 'It (the incident) has disappointed me beyond words.
'I am acutely aware of the many different cultures and races we have involved in our football club and our supporter base.
'Like I do with anything within the club, I guard that with my life and I want to protect that at all costs.
'To have a miscommunication deem us as non-sensitive to Welcome to Country and beyond that, a part of Australian customs, that has upset me greatly.'
Addressing the ordeal in a joint statement on Saturday evening, Djirri Djirri and Murphy said what should have been a proud occasion instead caused only grief.
'We Djirri Djirri were invited to dance alongside our Mäori Whanau Ngã Matai Púrua Kapa Haka after Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin's Welcome to Country,' the statement released on Saturday night began.
'We arrived at 2:30pm and have been in and out of the change room to rehearse, it has been raining all day and we have multiple babies and kids with us waiting in the rain.
'After our final rehearsal we were approached by Melbourne Storm CEO Justin Rodski saying they are so grateful to have us all dancing together, but tonight the Board doesn't feel comfortable having a Welcome to Country because of what happened in regards to the booing of Uncle Mark Brown at the ANZAC Dawn Service.
'They were also 'happy' for us to still dance to represent the 'Welcome' but we were in shock and disbelief. Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin AO, a senior Wurundjeri Elder, was told she could not do a Welcome on her own Country, which devastated her as she wanted to honour her father who fought for Australia in World War 1.'
The joint statement then goes on to say the Storm's backflip to include them again felt 'tokenistic' and their move goes entirely against the reconciliation process.
'We had a yarn earlier amongst ourselves about staying strong and brave today as it is a lot, to be Blak on our own Country. We spoke with Justin Rodski and executives with all of us,' the statement continued.
'They came back after that discussion and apologised, but after reconsidering we all came to the decision to boycott.
'We strongly regard this as being totally tokenistic and goes completely against their journey of reconciliation and we feel very disrespected. We stand with and follow the directions of our staunch elders.
'What we do isn't a performance, it's cultural ceremony and protocol. We strongly feel this action taken by Melbourne Storm was unnecessary and has caused us hurt and disbelief in what we thought was a good relationship.
'We wanted to be commemorating today with pride, but instead it was pain. Aunty Joy stayed at AAMI Park for the whole of the ceremony for the ANZACs, wearing proudly her father's medals and honouring all the service men and women who fought for our country.'
Is the end near for the Welcome to Country ceremonies before sports games?
The Welcome to Country is received – and understood – in very different ways by Australians and over the years it has become a highly polarising issue at major events.
The Storm say despite what transpired over the weekend they still intend to hold Welcome to Country ceremonies during the NRL's multicultural and Indigenous rounds this season.
However, the reality is the Welcome to Country ceremony for many is becoming tiresome.
That was a sentiment that opposition leader Peter Dutton shared in Sunday night's leaders debate, labelling the ceremonies 'divisive' and 'overdone'.
'In relation to the Welcome to Country, the first (point) I would make is that is our most sacred day of the year, Anzac Day, and a time to respect diggers and not a time for booing any part of the ceremony,' Dutton said.
'In relation to the Welcome to Country otherwise … (There) is a sense across the community that it is overdone.
'For the opening of parliament, fair enough, it is respectful to do. But for the start of every meeting at work, or the start of a football game, I think (a lot) of Australians think it is overdone and cheapens the significance of what it was meant to do.
'It divides the country, not dissimilar to what the prime minister did with the Voice (to parliament).'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Australian
an hour ago
- The Australian
Melbourne Storm apologises for cancelling Welcome to Country ceremony on Anzac Day
Melbourne Storm has apologised to First Nations communities before Indigenous Round for cancelling a Welcome to Country ceremony on Anzac Day. The ceremony was axed in April just hours before the Storm played South Sydney. Wurundjeri elder Aunty Joy Murphy and women's dance group Djirri Djirri were to take part in the traditional ceremony at AAMI Park but were informed they would not be required. Other First Nations groups scheduled to take part on the day then refused to perform. In the days following, Murphy said she had been told that Melbourne's board was hesitant about the Welcome to Country performance after elder Uncle Mark Brown was booed at a Dawn Service during a Shrine of Remembrance ceremony in Melbourne. At the time, Melbourne chairman Matt Tripp said an 'internal miscommunication' led to the ceremony being cancelled at the last minute. On Monday, the club apologised over the incident and said an Acknowledgement of Country would be performed before the clash against the Brisbane Broncos at AAMI Park on Thursday night. An Indigenous jersey to be worn on Thursday night will also be unveiled this week. 'Melbourne Storm has been in ongoing communication with members of the Wurundjeri community following the events on Anzac Day and has apologised to the individuals, groups and communities involved,' the statement said. 'The club extends that apology to First Nations and Maori and Pasifika communities impacted. As we continue to engage with the local community regarding connection to the club and cultural protocols and out of respect for those involved, the club will recognise the traditional owners of the land through an Acknowledgement of Country on Thursday night for Indigenous Round. 'Melbourne Storm is built on the strength of our many cultures, including our long-standing relationship with First Nations and Māori and Pasifika communities and we remain committed to ensuring our social and community programs continue to make a positive impact.' Back in April, Murphy and the Djirri Djirri dance group had issued a joint statement expressing their hurt and dismay at Melbourne's decision to axe the Welcome to Country ceremony. The fallout had even further reverberations, with major partner Victorian Aboriginal Health Services (VAHS) ending its relationship with the club in May, citing a 'lack of respect and cultural sensitivity. 'The Victorian Aboriginal Health Service has made the difficult decision to withdraw our partnership on the Deadly Choices campaign with Melbourne Storm, effective immediately,' the VAHS said. 'Our decision is directly related to the Melbourne Storm Board's decision to cancel Aunty Joy's Welcome to Country at the Anzac Day match. Storm vs. Rabbitohs.' The club had announced a cultural planning review back in December last year to determine how the Acknowledgement to Country would be used during the 2025 season. Fatima Kdouh is a rugby league reporter and SuperCoach presenter. She joined News Corp after walking away from a career in investment banking to pursue her dream job of becoming a sports journalist. Since joining News Corp, Fatima has worked for Sky News, Sky News Business, Fox Sports Australia and now calls The Daily Telegraph, and CODE Sports, home - where she is carving out a reputation for herself in one of the toughest and most competitive reporting gigs in the country, the NRL round. NRL The Wests Tigers have presented star Adam Doueihi a revised deal in a bid to keep him at the club, with the new offer coming in the wake of his starring role in the club's shock win over the Bulldogs. NRL High-profile Canterbury recruit Lachlan Galvin is in doubt for the club's top four clash against the Warriors, while teammate Stephen Crichton escaped suspension for a tackle that left Benji Marshall fuming.
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Melbourne Storm apologises for cancelling Welcome to Country ceremony
The Melbourne Storm have formally apologised to First Nations people for the decision to cancel the Welcome to Country ceremony on Anzac Day this year. A planned Welcome to Country ceremony in April for Melbourne's match against South Sydney was cancelled at the last minute, causing distress among the Wurundjeri People. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Wurundjeri elder Aunty Joy Murphy was scheduled to perform the service at the Storm's AAMI Park match before she was informed just hours before kick-off the Welcome to Country ceremony was no longer wanted. Two First Nations groups were also scheduled to perform on the night, but after the confusion they all opted to cancel their performances. The cancellation came following an incident at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance that morning when neo-Nazis booed and heckled when Bunurong elder Mark Brown began his Welcome to Country. The Storm later released a statement blaming a 'miscommunication' for the cancellation. 'We were all just dumbfounded,' Aunty Joy told The Age at the time. 'We would dearly love to be out there, but they've broken our hearts. 'We want to rebuild our relationship. We want to make them (realise) that this was wrong, hurtful, deceitful and tokenistic.' Aunty Joy has since delivered a Welcome to Country at several sporting events, including AFL games and last weekend's Super Netball Grand Final in Melbourne. Now ahead of this weekend's NRL Indigenous Round, the Storm have issued a formal apology and confirmed an Acknowledgement of Country would be held at AAMI Park in Melbourne on Thursday night before the game against the Broncos. 'Melbourne Storm has been in ongoing communication with members of the Wurundjeri community following the events on ANZAC Day and has apologised to the individuals, groups, and communities involved,' the Storm said in a statement on Monday. 'The Club extends that apology to First Nations and MÄ�ori and Pasifika communities impacted. 'As we continue to engage with the local community regarding connection to the Club and cultural protocols and out of respect for those involved, the Club will recognise the traditional owners of the land through an Acknowledgement of Country on Thursday night for Indigenous Round. 'Indigenous Round presents the opportunity to not only honour the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players who have worn the purple jersey, but also the club's commitment to creating an environment that respects and celebrates First Nations cultures — not just during Indigenous Round, but throughout the year. 'Melbourne Storm is built on the strength of our many cultures, including our longstanding relationship with First Nations and MÄ�ori and Pasifika communities and we remain committed to ensuring our social and community programs continue to make a positive impact.' On Monday the Storm also unveiled their jersey for Indigenous Round, which features a dot painting created by Warumungu and Yawuru man David Roe (Roey). The club said the jersey will be worn during the NRL's Indigenous Round and is a powerful and symbolic design that represents the journey of the Club's past and present Indigenous players. The NRL's Indigenous Round takes place over the next two rounds of the NRL and NRLW seasons, beginning on Thursday night in Melbourne.
Sydney Morning Herald
6 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Melbourne Storm apologise to First Nations people for cancelled Welcome to Country service
Melbourne Storm have issued a formal apology to First Nations communities over the last-minute cancellation of the NRL club's Welcome to Country ceremony on Anzac Day this year. The Storm said it had been in ongoing communication with members of the Wurundjeri community since April 25, when the service that had been slated to take place before the match against the South Sydney Rabbitohs was pulled, causing distress among Indigenous communities. In the days that followed, the Storm took responsibility for what they said was an internal miscommunication. Wurundjeri elder Aunty Joy Murphy had been scheduled to perform the service. Performances from First Nations groups were also planned. The Storm said on Monday they would have an Acknowledgement of Country before Thursday night's clash against the Brisbane Broncos, part of the NRL's Indigenous Round. 'Melbourne Storm has been in ongoing communication with members of the Wurundjeri community following the events on ANZAC Day and has apologised to the individuals, groups, and communities involved. The club extends that apology to First Nations and Māori and Pasifika communities impacted,' the Storm said in a statement. 'As we continue to engage with the local community regarding connection to the club and cultural protocols and out of respect for those involved, the Club will recognise the traditional owners of the land through an Acknowledgement of Country on Thursday night for Indigenous Round.' The cancellation of the service at AAMI Park followed an incident at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance that morning, when far-right agitators had booed and heckled Bunurong elder Uncle Mark Brown's Welcome to Country at the Anzac Day dawn service.
