March 14, 1998 – the day our club took to the field for the very first time.
Out of the ashes of the Super League war during the late 90s a new competition, the National Rugby League, was formed.
The inaugural 1998 NRL season was played with 20 teams including, for the very first time, a team playing out of Victoria.
Ninety seasons after the game first arrived in Australia, rugby league would be played out of Melbourne. History was being made.
Be at AAMI Park when we take on the Tigers, Sunday 26 June, 4pm.
Premiership-winning coach Chris Anderson was signed from Canterbury and he brought with him Broncos front rower Glenn Lazarus to be the Club’s inaugural captain.
However after 11 grueling seasons in Canberra and Brisbane, the big man admits he arrived in Melbourne below his best having not played a game since May the previous year.
“I wrecked my ankle in my last year at the Broncos. I had signed for Melbourne but it wasn’t looking great,” Lazarus said.
“It wasn’t until the last training session leading into that (first) game that I declared myself fit to play.”
