Melbourne Storm is renowned for its deadly on-field combinations and today the NRL premiers are proud to announce a new deadly off-field partnership to improve Indigenous health.
Storm have partnered with Deadly Choices, an initiative of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health, for the remainder of the 2021 season with planning underway for a longer term collaboration.
The club will showcase the work of Deadly Choices as it encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to make healthy choices such as stopping smoking, eating good food and exercising daily.
Deadly Choices also encourages Indigenous communities to access their local Community Controlled Health Service and complete an annual “Health Check”.
Storm’s ladder-leading NRL squad will highlight the work of Deadly Choices this week by wearing specially branded jerseys at their Captains’ Run training session prior to the round 18 clash with Newcastle at AAMI Park.
Storm will wear their 2021 Indigenous jerseys against the Knights and Deadly Choices messaging will feature during the game day presentation.
The new partnership also includes the Victoria Aboriginal Health Service with limited edition 2021 Storm shirts to be offered to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members as an incentive to complete their “Health Check”.
Storm CEO Justin Rodski said the Deadly Choices partnership was an extension of the club’s work alongside the Indigenous community including initiatives such as the Dardi Munwurro organisation which has a vision to build stronger families and safer communities.
“Melbourne has a history of having some of the game’s best Indigenous talent, such as Greg Inglis, Will Chambers and Josh Addo-Carr, on our playing roster and we’re honoured to include Deadly Choices and the Victoria Aboriginal Health Service as initiatives we support for our Indigenous community,” Rodski said.
It displays our on-going commitment, as NAIDOC Week 2021 comes to a close, to helping to improve Indigenous health in Australia, and particularly here in our home state of Victoria.
CEO Justin Rodski
“A Deadly Choice is a good choice, and we’re keen to help get the message out there so more of those healthy choices are being made each day”.
Storm’s commercial staff held a morning tea last week to recognise NAIDOC week at the club.