Melbourne have been under fire off the field for the late cancellation of a Welcome to Country before last round’s match at AAMI Park against South Sydney.
Wurundjeri elder Aunty Joy Murphy was told midway through an on-field dance rehearsal from Indigenous performers at the venue that there would be no Welcome to Country ceremony, with Storm CEO Justin Rodski allegedly telling her it was a board decision.
Star half Jahrome Hughes said on Thursday that the club was “trying to make amends” to the Indigenous community.
“I know the club is really apologetic of what happened that night,” he said.
“I know there was a bit of miscommunication and I know the higher-ups at the club know they did the wrong thing and they’re trying to make amends at the moment.
“Ever since I’ve been here, we’ve respected all cultures, not just Indigenous … we have a saying that if it’s important to one of us, then it’s important for all of us.
“Hopefully, the club can make up for the wrongdoing that’s been done.”
As a result, the two groups set to perform on Friday night pulled out in solidarity, with Murphy saying she was “dumbfounded” by the snub.
Jahrome Hughes makes a break. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)
She later told the ABC that it was particularly “hurtful” as she had planned to wear her veteran father’s medals during the ceremony.
“We would dearly love to be out there, but they’ve broken our hearts,” Murphy told The Age. “We want to rebuild our relationship. We want to make them [understand] that this was wrong, hurtful, deceitful and tokenistic.”
The Storm have previously had to deny reports the club plans to scrap Welcome to Country ceremonies, releasing a statement late last year.
with AAP
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