Like many great moments at Melbourne Storm, the team's "Our home, Victoria' logo was inspired by Billy Slater.
Via Roy Ward/The Age.
The Storm legend wasn't feeling great as the Melbourne prepared to go into a second lockdown in early July.
With the Storm relocated to Queensland, Slater, who still helps out on the coaching staff, could see a need for the team to be sensitive to those such as himself who remained in locked-down Melbourne.
So Slater sent a message to Storm football director Frank Ponissi on July 8, the same evening Melburnians were having their last suppers in restaurant dining rooms that have still yet to reopen.
Slater said things were "pretty grim" and that a message of solidarity to those back home would be timely. He also warned players not post too many pictures of beaches and sunshine to social media considering the situation their supporters faced.
Slater wanted to evoke the feelings he got from visiting rural Queensland before State of Origin series, he wanted the Storm to be inspired by their home supporters despite being so far away.
"Sometimes when you are focused on a role, sometimes you can lose the bigger picture and what you are playing for," Slater said.
