Elder Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin heartbroken after Welcome to Country called off for Storm and Rabbitohs match

A senior Aboriginal elder has said she is heartbroken and distressed after Melbourne Storm informed her a planned Welcome to Country at its Anzac Day match would be cancelled at the last minute.

Wurundjeri elder Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin said she was informed on Friday afternoon by the club that the address to the crowd at AAMI Park would be called off.

The team was up against the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Melbourne. 

Ms Murphy Wandin said the decision was particularly “hurtful” because her father was a veteran and she had planned to wear his medals during the Welcome to Country.

The ABC understands Storm chief executive Justin Rodski told Ms Murphy Wandin that her address could not go ahead. 

At Melbourne’s Anzac Day dawn service, several people interrupted a Welcome to Country delivered by Uncle Mark Brown, a Bunurong and Gunditjmara elder.

It is not clear why Melbourne Storm did not proceed with the address.

A Melbourne Storm spokesman told ABC News it had “spoken to the groups concerned” about a “miscommunication”.

“There was a miscommunication of expectations regarding the use of Welcome to Country at Melbourne Storm events throughout the year,” he said. 

“We acknowledge and accept the timing and miscommunication was not ideal and we have spoken to the groups concerned this afternoon.”

Storm coach Craig Bellamy told reporters after the game he “didn’t know anything about that”.  

“That’s the first I’ve heard of that,” he said. 

Ms Murphy Wandin said after an initial meeting, the club then rescinded its decision and asked her to perform the Welcome to Country, but she declined.

She was due to walk out onto the field alongside Aboriginal women from the Djirri Djirri dance group, made up of Wurundjeri custodians of the Kulin Nations.

The dancers were asked to proceed without Ms Murphy Wandin’s Welcome to Country but declined.

One of the dancers, Kathleen Terrick, has told ABC News that the group were shocked and hurt by the decision and decided to cancel their performance.

“When it comes to our elders, we are not going to stand by and let our elders be disrespected,” she said.

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Ms Terrick said the group was told the decision was made “due to the wishes of the board”.

Multiple people were left in tears, she said.