A week after their not so Good Friday, Melbourne return to AAMI Park for their annual Anzac Day match.
2025 cosplay
Time to update Melbourne’s history of military-industrial complex cosplay…
The 2009 through 2023 jerseys were featured here, while last year’s effort was looked at here. I actually purchased last year’s design, the first time that I’ve bothered with buying an Anzac Day jersey, mostly because the design didn’t suck.
Thankfully, the design principles from last year have carried through to this year’s jersey. From the Storm’s release:
In 2025, for the first time, the club has designed a jersey to honour a single individual, Melbourne born pilot Air Commodore Arthur Henry ‘Harry’ Cobby, whose remarkable career in aviation and military service spanned over 30 years making him one of the greatest flying aces in WW1.
From a Melbourne bank clerk to a pioneer of Australian aviation, Harry Cobby became one of the most influential figures in the nation’s flying history.
This year’s special ANZAC Round jersey features a VIC Flying Formation at its center, symbolising Cobby in flight. His signature checkered plane is represented through checkerboard detailing on the jersey’s sides, while a traditional red poppy is placed at the lower left, paying tribute to the enduring ANZAC legacy.
Originating from World War I, the red poppy became a symbol of remembrance, growing on the battlefields of the Western Front. This powerful emblem is reflected in the jersey’s design, alongside the official ANZAC Appeal logo on the left side.
The club also posted some links about Harry Cobby which provide a reasonable starting point if you are keen to know more about his life and service.
From a Melbourne Storm design standpoint I don’t mind the choices this year. I think having the planes is a little much, but I guess it ties in with the story that’s being told. I do wonder if a full checkerboard pattern might have been an interesting look rather than the chevrons down the front.
Anzac Day
At a time when there is an active genocide happening, a war in Europe and other horrible doings transpiring,1 it’s a good idea to reflect on the meaning of ANZAC Day. Unsurprisingly it isn’t rugby league or sport in any way.
I don’t have a close link to anyone in the military, but I’ve been alive long enough to know that ANZAC Day is not a day to glorify war and militarisation. Instead it should always be a day to commemorate those lost in war and the absolute fucking futility of war. My mind tends to drift on ANZAC Day to the poetry of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon (among others).
What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
— Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,—
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.
What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.
No doubt they’ll soon get well; the shock and strain
Have caused their stammering, disconnected talk.
Of course they’re ‘longing to go out again,’—
These boys with old, scared faces, learning to walk.
They’ll soon forget their haunted nights; their cowed
Subjection to the ghosts of friends who died,—
Their dreams that drip with murder; and they’ll be proud
Of glorious war that shatter’d all their pride…
Men who went out to battle, grim and glad;
Children, with eyes that hate you, broken and mad.
Anzac Cove By Leon Gellert
There’s a lonely stretch of hillocks:
There’s a beach asleep and drear:
There’s a battered broken fort beside the sea.
There are sunken trampled graves:
And a little rotting pier:
And winding paths that wind unceasingly.
There’s a torn and silent valley:
There’s a tiny rivulet
With some blood upon the stones beside its mouth.
There are lines of buried bones:
There’s an unpaid waiting debt:
There’s a sound of gentle sobbing in the South
Lest we forget and all that, but let’s not fall into the cycles of our forebears.
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Stat attack
Melbourne have won 13 times on Anzac Day from 17 matches. There was a draw in 2009, with the only losses against the Warriors (2011 & 2014) and Manly (2015).
South Sydney have never won in the state of Victoria, losing all of their 19 match against the Storm (12 matches at AAMI Park and 7 at Olympic Park)
Wayne Bennett’s teams haven’t beaten Melbourne since 2016, losing five times each with the Broncos and Rabbitohs, and three times with the Dolphins.
Souths have never won consecutive matches against Melbourne, having won just seven times from 41 matches between the teams.
Between 2005 and 2010 Greg Inglis played 117 NRL matches for Melbourne, scoring 78 tries. He was inducted into the National Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2024 scoring 149 tries in his 263 matches for the Storm and Souths.
Melbourne Storm vs South Sydney Rabbitohs — AAMI Park, 8:10pm Friday 25 April 2025
A few forced changes this week with Jack Howarth and Tui Kamikamica added to the injury list. Thankfully Howarth’s shoulder injury isn’t as bad as first feared, while Kamikamica will be out for at least a couple of weeks.
There’s one name coming off the injury list with Nick Meaney named to make his return from the facial fracture he copped in the round 3 match against Penrith. He’s back in his number four jersey, so it will be interesting to see whether he partners Kane Bradley on the right edge, or if he moves across to the left flank with Xavier Coates. Grant Anderson struggled against Herbie Farnworth last week, so it’s hard to predict whether he will do better against the Souths centre pairing of Jack Wighton and Campbell Graham.
Lazarus Vaalepu has been named to replace Tui Kamikamica on the bench with Ativalu Lisati among the reserves. One of them will play unless…
Nelson Asofa-Solomona has been named in the 22 jersey, but surely he’ll be heading north to play with the Falcons instead as he needs a run after missing so much footy. I know I’d much prefer him to get some timing back before being unleashed against the Raiders, but I was wrong about selections last week, so who knows really.
There’s been tinkering at South Sydney. Latrell Mitchell moves to fullback having played in the centres and at five-eighth so far this season. That move sees Jye Gray shifted to the bench, while Lewis Dodd is the odd man out. Bailey Bentleigh-Hape has been named for his second NRL match following his debut earlier this season. Jayden Sullivan returns from suspension, while the Bunnies are still missing Alex Johnston2 and Cameron Murray who will be missing the rest of the season.
Souths struggled against the Bulldogs on Good Friday and were shut out a week after their loss to the Cowboys in Perth. The did beat the Roosters and Panthers in the previous fortnight after starting the season with a couple of wins. To be honest, they’re probably doing better than I expected under the geriatric.
The vibes this week feel very similar to those before the Warriors game. Souths shouldn’t be beating this Melbourne team, but the annoying nature of sport is that the games must be played and won or lost. I’m a big fan of history and streaks and Melbourne never losing to Souths in Victoria is one thing I would like to see continue for as long as possible.3
Another big crowd is in prospect on what will likely be a rainy night at AAMI Park. Given the team hasn’t played well in moist conditions of late, that will be an interesting challenge to watch. Bronson Garlick and Tyran Wishart will need to be at their best from dummy half, while the edges will have their hands full in defence against Cody Walker’s passing game.
If there’s any game in the next month that I expect Melbourne to win, this is the one. I think the next month is going to be awkward for the Storm and winning on Friday could set things up well, but losing might be the second clear sign that this team has some deficiencies that require urgent attention.
What else is going on?
After a bye last week, the Bears are back in action with North Sydney travelling down to Canberra on Sunday afternoon (kickoff 4:15pm). Norths have won their past three matches and a win on the road will keep them in touch with the top four even at this early stage of the season.
Before that the Storm’s Jersey Flegg Cup squad will be looking to bounce back against the Raiders at Belconnen on Sunday (kickoff 12:15pm). K-Ci Newton-Whare is back,4 while Waka Hammond steps up from the SG Ball Cup squad.
In Queensland the Tigers host the Townsville Blackhawks on Saturday (kickoff 3pm), which will be a tough test as the Blackhawks are undefeated so far in 2025. Later that afternoon (kickoff 5pm) the Falcons head down to Redcliffe for the James Ackerman Cup.
It’s the Queensland Cup in the Super Netball as the Sunshine Coast Lightning host the Firebirds on Saturday evening (first pass 5:00pm). The Lightning won both matches in 2024 to extend their winning streak against their Queensland rivals to five matches. It will be Cara Koenen’s 100th Super Netball match for the Lightning with the foundation player becoming the third Lightning player to reach that milestone with the club.
Including fucking hawks screaming for even more defence spending for reasons. To get vaguely policital, the AUKUS boondoggle is an astoundingly stupid thing and almost indefensible. Both major political parties seem intent on spending excessive amounts of money on defence and I hate them all so much.
Newtown-Whare played in the NRL Victoria Storm Premiership first grade men’s competition for the Melbourne Thunderbolts in their opening round loss to the Casey Warriors back on 12 April. Colour me intrigued by the presence of a Melbourne Storm backed team in that competition. Some of the names that played in the first round are vaguely familiar, but it’s an odd one to me.
