Melbourne Storm’s Football Director Frank Possini said he wanted to be “on the record” that the Storm will be in Yarrawonga Mulwala within the next 12 months to show their appreciation to the community who provided an “impressive option” for a temporary training hub location.
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“We have been really impressed with the attitude and the effort of the local people especially the golf club resort and the Yarrawonga Football Club in providing with us a really impressive option had we gone that way but obviously we couldn’t,” Possini told the Chronicle from Albury last week.
“It’s a shame it didn’t come off but at the same time they were very understanding of the situation.
“As a result, we thought it was the right thing, to make a commitment to be back at some stage in the next 12 months. We don’t know exactly when, obviously given everything that’s going on (with the COVID-19 pandemic).
“We certainly want to make this commitment to the region that we bring the Melbourne Storm. Pre-season is one option that we are looking at, whether it’s early next season, and if things change it could even be the end of this season. But we will definitely be making a commitment of doing something up there with a large (playing) group if not the entire group,” he said.
The Victorian Government’s strict lockdown restrictions thwarted a preferred move for Storm to use Yarrawonga Mulwala last week as a temporary training hub prior to the resumption of the NRL season on May 28.
Club officials were forced to send the team to Albury where all training and living facilities were located in NSW.
Storm had hoped to use Yarrawonga’s JC Lowe Oval but due to a failed attempt to get an exemption to train on the Pigeons’ oval in Victoria, just a short walk from their proposed temporary living base in NSW at the Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort, they were forced to look further up-river.
Current director, shareholder and Yarrawonga local Matt Tripp, who takes over as chairman of the Storm by the end of May, is naturally keen to see his team thank the community for their efforts by coming up in the pre-season period.
“It will be a good way to show our appreciation to the local clubs and the community and we look forward to it,” Tripp said.
