Latest news with #VAHS
Epoch Times
27-05-2025
- Health
- Epoch Times
Aboriginal Group Cuts Ties With Melbourne Storm After Welcome to Country Axing
The Victorian Aboriginal Health Services (VAHS) has ended its alliance with the Melbourne Storm after the National Rugby League club cancelled the Indigenous Welcome to Country ceremony at its Anzac Day home game against the Rabbitohs. In a letter to Melbourne Storm CEO Justin Rodski and approved by VAHS CEO Michael Graham, the VAHS said the 'difficult decision' had been made to withdraw from the partnership, citing disrespect for Indigenous elder Aunty Joy Murphy who would have delivered the ceremony. The Deadly Choices Health Check partnership included the Storm printing the VAHS logo on their warm-up shirts, which were also made available to health check participants. The initiative, at its core, worked to encourage Indigenous Australians to make healthier decisions on diet and exercise, with the VAHS playing a role as a key organiser for Indigenous children to play half-time games. 'The Melbourne Storm Board's decision to cancel the Welcome to Country was disrespectful to Aunty Joy and the Wurundjeri People, has had a ripple effect and hurtful impact on Aboriginal People throughout Naarm (Melbourne) and across the country, and is not reflective of VAHS' values of respect, cultural integrity, and cultural safety,' the VAHS said in a statement 'This decision made by the Melbourne Storm Board demonstrated a lack of respect and cultural sensitivity towards Aboriginal people and communities, specifically in relation to the treatment and recognition of Aunty Joy and the Wurundjeri people, particularly their cultural protocols and practices.' Related Stories 4/26/2025 4/24/2025 VAHS said the move by the Melbourne Storm ran counter to cultural integrity and safety. Aunty Joy Murphy speaks at the Welcome To Country for the Trophy arrival ceremony during day one of the 2024 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 14, of Ceremony a Misunderstanding: Club The Welcome to Country was cancelled on match day, soon after a group of men booed and heckled Melbourne's flagship Anzac Day dawn service. The Melbourne Storm later issued a statement to say the axing of the ceremony had been a 'misunderstanding' and denied any link to earlier events. 'We will continue to have discussions with First Nations and Māori communities to understand and strengthen our ongoing relationship,' the Storm said in a statement. The Epoch Times contacted the Melbourne Storm for comment on the withdrawal of the VAHS partnership. Not So Welcome to Country Started in the 1970s, the Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement to Country, are ceremonies performed by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander elders to 'welcome' guests to their land at public events. It has become a topic of debate with those in favour saying the ceremony represents a mark of respect for tradition and culture, while those against say it has lost its relevance and meaning through overuse. Former Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said its overuse would cheapen its significance, while current One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson Additionally, a serviceman who spoke at the Melbourne Dawn Service told reporters some veterans were avoiding Anzac Day services because they felt the Welcome to Country was disrespectful. 'I have a lot of veteran mates who haven't come today solely because of the Welcome to Country because our friends died for this country, for this soil, and for them the 'welcome' is a slap in the face,' he told The ceremony has opposition amongst the Indigenous community, too. Last year, Queensland's Juru Indigenous people
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Melbourne Storm dealt a MAJOR blow in retaliation to scrapping Welcome to Country ceremony on Anzac Day
The Melbourne Storm's controversial decision to not stage a Welcome to Country ceremony before its Anzac Day clash against South Sydney at AAMI Park has resulted in a major partner ending ties with the NRL club. The Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS), which runs the Deadly Choices program across the state, confirmed they were cancelling its campaign with the Storm. In a statement, VAHS said the cancellation showed 'a lack of respect and cultural sensitivity towards Aboriginal people.' '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,' the statement began. 'This decision directly had a hurtful impact on Aunty Joy, the Djirri Djirri dancers and the Wurundjeri People. 'We are mindful that the negative ripple effect was also felt by Aboriginal people across Naarm, the state and the nation. 'The decision made by the Melbourne Storm board demonstrated a lack of respect and cultural sensitivity towards Aboriginal people and communities, specifically in relation to the treatment and recognition of Aunty Joy and the Wurundjeri people, particularly their cultural protocols and practices. 'Such an action is inconsistent with our values of respect, cultural integrity and cultural safety. 'The decision has initiated poor wellbeing, including feelings of sadness and anger among our community and stakeholders. 'Our organisation is dedicated to fostering respectful, inclusive and culturally safe environments for Aboriginal people and unfortunately, the actions and decisions taken by the Melbourne Storm board have compromised these principles.' The Storm board cancelled the ceremony following an ugly booing incident at Melbourne's main dawn service, where one person involved was a known Neo-Nazi. Melbourne Storm chairman Matt Tripp said the club's handling of the situation 'upset him greatly' and he was 'disappointed beyond words.' The ABC reported fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen said on the 167 Podcast he hosts with teammates Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster the playing group were left in the dark as to what was unfolding. 'We as players were not entirely sure what was going on, we were a little bit confused,' he said. '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 that day.'
ABC News
10-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Melbourne Storm loses Aboriginal Health Service partnership over Welcome to Country snub
The Melbourne Storm's decision not to have a Welcome to Country ceremony before its Anzac Day clash has prompted a major partner to sever ties with the NRL club. The Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS), which runs the Deadly Choices program in the state, said it was cancelling its campaign with the Storm. A statement posted on social media by VAHS said this was a direct result of the club's treatment of Wurundjeri elder Joy Murphy Wandin before the round eight game against South Sydney at AAMI Park. VAHS, which has been operating since 1973, said the decision "was disrespectful to Aunty Joy and the Wurundjeri People … [and] had hurtful impact on Aboriginal people throughout Naarm and across the country". "This decision made by the Melbourne Storm board demonstrated a lack of respect and cultural sensitivity towards Aboriginal people and communities," VAHS said in a letter to Storm chief executive 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." After it became clear that the Welcome to Country had not been held before the Anzac Day game despite Aunty Joy being at the ground to deliver the address, the Storm said the club's "board had not approved for it to be held on Anzac Day". It came hours after Bunurong and Gunditjmara man Uncle Mark Brown was booed and heckled by members of the crowd at the dawn service at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance. The Storm said its decision was not related to the booing earlier in the day, but Aunty Joy said she was told it was. The club chalked the decision up to a miscommunication over whether the ceremony had been approved to go ahead and chairman Matt Tripp told Nine: "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 Storm have held smoking ceremonies, traditional Aboriginal and Māori dances and numerous Welcomes to Country before games alongside the commemoration of the nations' military history at Anzac Day clashes in previous years. The Storm officially partnered with Deadly Choices and VAHS in 2021. In 2022, VAHS chief executive 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". "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 in announcing its split. The Storm's website says the club celebrates its connection to and recognition of Indigenous people "across a range of partnerships and programs". Among those partnerships is specialist Aboriginal family violence service Dardi Munwurro. Deadly Choices is listed as an "official partner" on the Melbourne Storm website. The club has been contacted for comment.
Herald Sun
10-05-2025
- Health
- Herald Sun
NRL news: Melbourne Storm pay heavy price for Welcome snub as NRL club dropped by major partner
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. The Melbourne Storm have paid a huge price for their last-minute axing of the Welcome to Country ceremony at their NRL Anzac Day fixture, with major partner Victorian Aboriginal Health Services (VAHS) cutting ties with the NRL club. The decision comes after the traditional Welcome to Country was not performed on Anzac Day. In response VAHS announced they would no longer partner with Melbourne due to the club's 'lack of respect and cultural sensitivity'. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE in 4K with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. The partnership included the Deadly Choices program, an initiative with the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health. While also as a result of the breakdown, VAHS will no longer be a Community outlet for tickets to NRL Indigenous Round, Storm home games, and will immediately stop organising local Koori children to play during halftime exhibition games. 'The Victorian Aboriginal Health Service has made the difficult decision to withdraw our partnership on the Deadly Choices campaign with Melbourne Storm, effective immediately,' VAHS' statement on Thursday read. '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. 'This decision directly had a hurtful impact on Aunty Joy, the Djirri Djirri dancers, and the Wurundjeri People. We are mindful that the negative ripple effect was also felt by Aboriginal people across Naarm, the state, and the nation. 'The decision made by the Melbourne Storm Board demonstrated a lack of respect and cultural sensitivity towards Aboriginal people and Communities, specifically in relation to the treatment and recognition of Aunty Joy and the Wurundjeri People, particularly their cultural protocols and practices. 'Such an action is inconsistent with our values of respect, cultural integrity and cultural safety. The decision has initiated poor wellbeing, including feelings of sadness and anger among our Community and stakeholders. 'Our organisation is dedicated to fostering respectful, inclusive and culturally safe environments for Aboriginal People, and unfortunately, the actions and decisions taken by the Melbourne Storm Board have compromised these principles.' VAHS' decision comes after Storm chairman Matt Tripp told The Age the club's handling of the Welcome to Country situation had 'upset him greatly' as he declared the whole thing was simply a miscommunication. '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.' Originally published as Melbourne Storm pay heavy price for Welcome to Country snub as major partner drops NRL club
Sky News AU
09-05-2025
- Health
- Sky News AU
Melbourne Storm pay heavy price for Welcome to Country snub as major partner cuts ties with club
Victorian Aboriginal Health Services have ended their partnership with the Melbourne Storm after the NRL club moved to axe its Anzac Day Welcome to Country ceremony at the 11th-hour. Wurundjeri elder Aunty Joy Murphy revealed she had been told the ceremony would not go ahead at the same time First Nations dancers were doing final rehearsals for the performance. Although the club almost immediately backflipped and issued an apology, those participating in the ceremony said they were left "dumbfounded" and the performance was cancelled. In a statement on Thursday, VAHS said it had cut ties with the Melbourne Storm due to their '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 statement read. '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. 'This decision directly had a hurtful impact on Aunty Joy, the Djirri Djirri dancers, and the Wurundjeri People. We are mindful that the negative ripple effect was also felt by Aboriginal people across Naarm, the state, and the nation. 'The decision made by the Melbourne Storm Board demonstrated a lack of respect and cultural sensitivity towards Aboriginal people and Communities, specifically in relation to the treatment and recognition of Aunty Joy and the Wurundjeri People, particularly their cultural protocols and practices.' The Deadly Choices campaign was an initative with the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health aimed at encouraging Indigenous Australians to eat well and exercise more frequently. Following the decision to end the partnership, VAHS will no longer be a community outlet for NRL Indigenous round tickets or Melbourne Storm home games and will also cease organising for local Koori children to play halftime exhibition games. The organisation added Melbourne Storm's decision had fostered sadness and anger in the community and among stakeholders. 'Our organisation is dedicated to fostering respectful, inclusive and culturally safe environments for Aboriginal People, and unfortunately, the actions and decisions taken by the Melbourne Storm Board have compromised these principles,' VAHS' statement read. Wurundjeri elder Aunty Joy described the incident as "hurtful" given she wanted to honour her father, who was a veteran, by wearing his medals during the ceremony, The Age reported. 'We would dearly love to be out there, but they've broken our hearts," she said. 'We want to rebuild our relationship. We want to make them (realise) that this was wrong, hurtful, deceitful and tokenistic.'
