Jaybro helping ensure Academy prospects are ready for life after footy

If there's one thing Melbourne Storm take pride in, it's setting players up for life outside of rugby league and for those starting out in their journey with the Storm Academy, that is no exception. 

With the vision to protect the future of Storm by developing players, both on and off the field, the Academy looks to provide a clear pathway for elite junior players to develop through the Storm system. 

By providing resources, opportunities and education, the Academy prospects will learn what it takes to become a first-grade player. 

Thanks to Official partner Jaybro, the up-and-comers have received a first-hand taste of ‘regular’ work after they visited the safety equipment supplier’s offices earlier this year.

Undertaking the first day training all Jaybro employees go through with Chief Operating Officer Adrian Palumbo, the young hopefuls learnt basic business knowledge and skills as well as financial literacy, setting them up for their days off-field. 

“It was great to talk to a number of the boys today and hear a lot of them made sacrifices coming from all over the country to come to Melbourne to try and fulfil and pursue a dream that they have,” Palumbo shared.

A commitment to this preparation can be seen right across the Club, from the new recruit Work Program for all incoming players, started by head coach Craig Bellamy, to opportunities provided to the Academy by Storm’s Welfare department. 

“As a club, we've always sort of had as a very strong philosophy that for players, it's not all about footy, it's about developing yourself as a person holistically and that starts at a pretty young age,” Storm Welfare Manager, Brian Phelan explains. 

Back through our Under 20s programs, it's always been a really strong policy of ours that players are not just purely engaged in football. 

Brian Phelan Welfare Manager, Melbourne Storm

“In fact, we make it compulsory that they actually have something away from footy. We don't want young players just sitting around at home idle, waiting for training to start.”

While all pathway systems do their best to prepare budding footy stars to reach their full potential, research shows that roughly only 10% graduate to the next level, leaving some with the challenge of having to find a new direction.

Storm Academy coach Matt Duffie understands the transition all too well, also facing the dilemma after wrapping up his NRL career in 2015. 

“I didn't really know what I wanted to do after footy, so I tried a few different things,” Duffie admitted. 

“The most important thing is when you have a bad game, sometimes sitting at home, not doing anything, it can fester into one bad game turning into a month of bad games because that's all you can think about. 

As a footy player you really want to play well, but sometimes the best thing to do is actually get away from it from a little bit and but you need to put those things in place. 

Matt Duffie Pathways Coach, Storm Academy

“For me, when I had my old field stuff sorted, my performances were much more consistent.” 

The opportunity to learn and gain hands-on experience for work-life in the Jaybro offices was a vital piece of the Storm pathway curriculum, particularly with many players leaving home to pursue their rugby league potential.  

“There's a lot of synergies there with the things that Jaybro does in terms of taking people from all different areas, right across the community...really making sure that people can discover the best versions of themselves,” Palumbo added. 

“To see that in action today and to be able to contribute and help the Melbourne Storm Academy is something that we're really proud to be part of.”