Questions raised as NRL Welcome to Country storm twists

The Melbourne Storm Welcome to Country controversy has raised eyebrows with details emerging about one of the club’s most powerful figures.

For the second time in two years, the Melbourne Storm are being asked questions about the private dealings of powerful co-owner Brett Ralph.

The Melbourne businessman’s position on the club’s board of directors has been cast into the spotlight after the NRL club’s Welcome to Country controversy on Friday night.

The drama has taken several turns since it emerged before the club’s Anzac Day game against South Sydney at AAMI Park that the traditional Welcome to Country would not be performed.

Wurundjeri women’s dance group Djirri Djirri and Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin AO issued a joint statement expressing their “hurt and anger” at the Storm’s last-minute axing of the traditional ceremony.

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Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin performs an acknowledgement to country. Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images.

Murphy, who has performed the Welcome to Country at various Melbourne events for many years, was cut from the pre-game service at the last minute ahead of the Storm’s game against the Rabbitohs, in a move that left her “broken-hearted”.

That was followed by public comments by Storm chairman Matt Tripp, who has said the situation has left him “disappointed beyond words”, per The Age.

“Once we understood the programming from management, we gave the green light to progress. By then, it was understandably too late for those who had already been informed of our earlier decision,” Tripp said, citing a lack of clarity between the board and management for the confusion.

He explained: “It (the incident) has disappointed me beyond words.

“I am acutely aware of the many different cultures and races we have involved in our football club and our supporter base.

“Like I do with anything within the club, I guard that with my life and I want to protect that at all costs.

“To have a miscommunication deem us as non-sensitive to Welcome to Country and beyond that, a part of Australian customs, that has upset me greatly.”

Djirri Djirri at the Melbourne Storm's NAIDOC Game. Image: Instagram

The Storm are now fielding questions about any potential impact Ralph has had in the club’s policy on Welcome to Country ceremonies.

The club was dragged into spotlight during the 2023 Voice to Parliament referendum when it was reported Ralph was responsible for a $75,000 donation being made to ‘Advance’ — one of the loudest organisations that campaigned against the ‘yes’ vote in the months leading up to the referendum.

Rapper Adam Briggs, a lifelong supporter of the club and an advocate for the ‘yes’ vote, at the time said he was cutting ties with the Storm because he felt the club’s values no longer aligned with his.

The Storm publicly stated as an organisation it supported the Voice to Parliament proposal, but Ralph’s private actions suggest he did not feel the same way.

The Storm said in a statement at the time Ralph had never used the club to promote his views and said Ralph was entitled to his private opinions.

Now similar questions have been asked of the Storm following the club’s Welcome to Country drama.

Supercars icon Dick Johnson (left), Brett Ralph (centre), and Ryan Story (right).

SBS has reported the club offered no comment on Ralph’s financial support of the Advance organisation.

News.com.au has also reached out to the Melbourne Storm for comment about Ralph’s actions that have no connection to the club itself.

News.com.au has also reached out to JMR Management Consultancy Services.

According to multiple reports, Ralph, through his JMR Management Consultancy Services, last financial year donated $50,000 to Advance, Australian Electoral Commission records show.

The Advance organisation continues to campaign for Welcomes to Country to stop being used at public events, stating on its website that the ceremony has become a “a full-blown activist-led push to attack Australia’s history and its values”.

Some Australians interpret the Welcome to Country as being “welcomed to their own country”, which is a misunderstanding as for Indigenous people “country” is a broader term encompassing the land itself but also life, family and your connection between all facets.

The cancellation of the Friday night Welcome to Country came after several people booed the Welcome to Country ceremony at various Dawn Services around Melbourne hours before the NRL game was due to take place.

Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin (left) with Melbourne Storm players lined up before their Anzac Day clash with South Sydney.

So on Friday afternoon, the Storm contacted Murphy and informed her that her services were no longer required.

Just hours later the Storm backflipped on the decision, asking Murphy to continue with her ceremony as originally planned, however, she declined.

While two First Nations groups also scheduled to perform also decided to boycott their performances in protest.

Despite Murphy opting not to continue as planned, Melbourne ran an Acknowledgment of Country message on the big screens before their Anzac commemoration.

Addressing the ordeal in a joint statement on Saturday evening, Djirri Djirri and Murphy said what should have been a proud occasion instead caused only grief.

“We Djirri Djirri were invited to dance alongside our Mäori Whanau Ngã Matai Púrua Kapa Haka after Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin’s Welcome to Country,” the statement released on Saturday night began.

“We arrived at 2.30pm and have been in and out of the change room to rehearse, it has been raining all day and we have multiple babies and kids with us waiting in the rain.

“After our final rehearsal we were approached by Melbourne Storm CEO Justin Rodski saying they are so grateful to have us all dancing together, but tonight the Board doesn’t feel comfortable having a Welcome to Country because of what happened in regards to the booing of Uncle Mark Brown at the ANZAC Dawn Service.

“They were also ‘happy’ for us to still dance to represent the “Welcome” but we were in shock and disbelief. Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin AO, a senior Wurundjeri Elder, was told she could not do a Welcome on her own Country, which devastated her as she wanted to honour her father who fought for Australia in World War 1.”

The joint statement then goes on to say the Storm’s backflip to include them again felt “tokenistic” and also felt their move goes entirely against the reconciliation process.

“We had a yarn earlier amongst ourselves about staying strong and brave today as it is a lot, to be Blak on our own Country. We spoke with Justin Rodski and executives with all of us,” the statement continued.

Liberals pledge to scale back welcome to country ceremonies

They came back after that discussion and apologised, but after reconsidering we all came to the decision to boycott.

“We strongly regard this as being totally tokenistic and goes completely against their journey of reconciliation and we feel very disrespected. We stand with and follow the directions of our staunch elders.

“What we do isn’t a performance, it’s cultural ceremony and protocol. We strongly feel this action taken by Melbourne Storm was unnecessary and has caused us hurt and disbelief in what we thought was a good relationship.

“We wanted to be commemorating today with pride, but instead it was pain. Aunty Joy stayed at AAMI Park for the whole of the ceremony for the ANZACs, wearing proudly her father’s medals and honouring all the service men and women who fought for our country.”

The Welcome to Country has become a surprising battle ground ahead of Saturday’s election.

Peter Dutton has proposed Welcome to Country ceremonies be relegated to “major events” only, claiming that acknowledgments of the traditional owners of the land have gone too far.

Asked for his response to his Mr Dutton’s claims during the debate on Sunday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the ceremonies are a “matter of respect”, and that it should be at an event’s host’s discretion as to whether they hold one or not.

Originally published as Questions raised as NRL Welcome to Country storm twists