Melbourne Storm will play a significant role in promoting healthy lifestyle choices for Victoria’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities as part of the club’s ongoing partnership commitment to the Victorian Aboriginal Health Services (VAHS) Deadly Choices program.
To kick off the renewal of the partnership, new Storm Deadly Choices shirts were unveiled at VAHS head office in Fitzroy yesterday by Storm’s current NRL squad Indigenous players Reimis Smith and Jordan Grant, development player AJ Gudgeon and Storm Academy members Matt Hill and Stanley Huen, as well as fullback Nick Meaney.
The eye-catching shirts will be used as incentives to encourage community members to book in for a health check at their local participating community-controlled health service.
Deadly Choices is a preventative health initiative which aims to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to make healthy choices for themselves and their families – to stop smoking, to eat nutritious food and exercise daily.
Storm CEO Justin Rodski said the club had a proud heritage of fielding Indigenous players in its NRL team and partnering with Indigenous organisations in its home state.
“We have very meaningful connections to the Indigenous community, particularly in Victoria,” Rodski said.
“These ties are strong, they are powerful and we are committed to making them stronger through partners such as Deadly Choices whose ideals align perfectly with Storm.
Our players will continue to play a major role in highlighting that a Deadly Choice is a good choice and that it’s important that those choices are made every day.
Justin Rodski CEO, Melbourne Storm
Rodski said that over Storm’s 25 years, 17 Indigenous players had worn the purple jersey, dating back to the formative seasons of the club.
“Our new Storm Academy and the Storm First Nations Pathway Program supported by Coles are both dedicated to assisting young Indigenous players to achieve their NRL dreams,” he said.
“We also continue to work with Indigenous organisations such as Dardi Munwurro which has a vision to build stronger families and safer communities.”
VAHS CEO Michael Graham said: “The three-way Storm, VAHS and Deadly Choices partnership exists across Melbourne and our wider Victorian footprint to provide a very strong community engagement tool to enhance positive health messaging and continue to encourage health checks among Indigenous communities from right across the State.
“With the valued support of fellow Deadly Choices licensees Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-operative, Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-Operative and Geelong’s Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative, we’re able to extend the footprint of this partnership far beyond the outer reaches of Victoria’s metropolitan areas.
“As they’ve done the past couple of years, Storm NRL players are once again at the forefront of promotional activity around the importance of 715 health assessments, as one of the core directives in assisting to help close the health and life expectancy gap of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.
“These sporting partnerships are ensuring healthy, positive futures for Victoria’s Indigenous communities.”
Storm squad members' Indigenous heritage:
- Jordan Grant – (Koorie) Wiradjuri
- Reimis Smith – (Koorie) Bunjalung, Wiradjuri
- Ammaron ‘AJ’ Gudgeon - (Noongar) Madjuk / Boodja
- Gabriel Satrick - (Torres Strait Islander and Murri) (Thubi Warra/ Yam Torres Strait Islands)
- Matt Hill – (Noongar) Kadjerong, Bunuba, Yawuru, Bibbulman
- Stanley Huen – (Murri)
