Melbourne’s AAMI Park was set to host the Melbourne Storm’s annual Anzac Day NRL clash against the New Zealand Warriors, a game steeped in tradition, respect, and ceremony. But on April 25, 2025, a last-minute decision to scrap the Welcome to Country—a customary acknowledgment of Indigenous custodians—left performers, elders, and community members reeling. The move, described as a gut-punch by those involved, has ignited fierce debate about respect, reconciliation, and the place of cultural protocols in Australian sport.
The Welcome to Country, a fixture at the Storm’s Anzac Day games for years, was meant to feature First Nations performers, including respected elder Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin. Hours before kickoff, organizers informed the group that the ceremony was off. No explanation was provided upfront, leaving performers who’d prepared for weeks stunned and humiliated. Aunty Joy, a Wurundjeri elder with deep ties to the land on which AAMI Park sits, expressed profound distress, saying the decision felt like a dismissal of her people’s heritage.
The Storm’s leadership later issued a statement claiming the cancellation stemmed from a “miscommunication” and wasn’t intended to disrespect Indigenous communities. They insisted the club remains committed to reconciliation, pointing to past ceremonies and partnerships with local Indigenous groups. But the explanation landed like a flat tire for many. Community leaders noted the timing—mere hours after a separate incident where neo-Nazis disrupted a dawn service in Melbourne—made the cancellation feel like a capitulation to divisive pressures.
Indigenous organizations, including the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, condemned the move. They argued it undermined years of work to embed cultural respect in public events. The NRL, overseeing the match, said it was investigating the decision, emphasizing that Welcome to Country protocols are standard across its games. Meanwhile, the Warriors, who incorporate Māori cultural elements in their pre-game rituals, reportedly expressed solidarity with the affected performers, though no official comment came from their camp.
The fallout was swift. Some fans, already at the stadium, voiced confusion when the game began without the expected acknowledgment. Others, learning of the cancellation later, took to public forums to demand answers. The Storm announced it would reinstate the Welcome to Country for future matches and meet with Indigenous leaders to address the damage. But for those like Aunty Joy, the hurt runs deep. “This was our moment to share who we are,” she said. “It was taken away.”
The incident occurred on April 25, 2025, during the Melbourne Storm’s Anzac Day match at AAMI Park. The Welcome to Country was canceled hours before the game started. The club cited a miscommunication as the reason. Indigenous groups and the NRL are reviewing the decision.