Rob Beswick-Davison has never, apart from during Covid times, missed a Melbourne Storm grand final appearance. From their debut in the season decider in 1999 just two years after the club’s inception, to this week’s showdown with Penrith, across 10 grand finals the Bendigo resident has watched the club evolve.
“I came to the very first game in ‘98, there was people on the dog track. It was crazy,” Beswick-Davison said. “It was great. I just love the physicality of the game. And you know, you can understand why they’re trying to get rid of that physicality, obviously with injuries and stuff. But I just love the physicality. I love how fit and big and strong these boys are. I just love watching collision.”
The graphic designer was speaking at the Storm’s pre-grand final fan day at AAMI Park. Alongside him were his two daughters: seven-year-old Cleo and Zara who is “turning 13”.
“It’s always good to come to a game because, Dad always takes me – well sometimes – because it’s really fun to come up here and just watch them win all the time, because they win, every single time,” the 12-year-old said. “It’s super lively, and I really like watching the families bond and everything together, watching the games.”
The Beswick-Davisons represent the modern Storm fan. One quarter of all Storm memberships belong to fans born after the club was established, and the growing share of under-25s has helped drive record crowds this year.
Beswick-Davison believes the atmosphere at NRL games is more family-friendly than the AFL. “Not that I’m trying to compare, but a lot of times with the AFL, the atmosphere can become a little unfriendly for families, because there’s a fair bit going on in the crowd.
Rugby league’s attraction to many has been its almost-X-rated violence, the toughness and physical sacrifice the players deliver week-in and week-out. But at least in the case of the Storm, those initially drawn to these aspects of the game stay with it for other reasons, and often bring their families.
Tanya Pimblett was at the fan day with her two daughters and son. “We try to get to at least one game at home, and then this is our first fan day, we just didn’t want to miss this one,” she said.
Pimblett was introduced to the sport through her husband before they had children, and they now attend as a family. “I wasn’t really much into rugby when I was growing up. I was more into AFL and didn’t really know much about rugby, and then my husband was into the rugby and, just straight away I loved it.”
Her first Storm memories are from a match at the old Olympic Park. “I remember seeing the sunset and just, I don’t know, it was just really good experience, the atmosphere, it’s always been great.”
The family hails from Coldstream near Lilydale in eastern Melbourne. The rugby league club has targeted the city’s expanding suburban periphery, and has established hubs in Wyndham in the west, Broadmeadows in the north and Casey in the south-east. “The AFL’s always bigger,” Pimblett said. “But I still think NRL [is popular] where we are, we know a few families out that way, everyone [supports] Storm really.”
In the late 1990s while Andrew Rushby was in primary school, the attraction of AFL was lost on him. “I was the black sheep of the family. Everyone was AFL and I never took interest. I just went straight to rugby and haven’t looked back,” he said. “I just thought it was a real type of football compared to AFL to be honest, hard-hitting, more skill in a way, you don’t have to use your foot as much.”
The Rushbys have just signed their entire family up for memberships for the first time. Joining Andrew and his wife Brooke will be Xavier, nine, Jax, 4, and Isabella, 2.
AAMI Park has hosted 13 NRL games this year, at an average of more than 21,000, around 4,000 up on last season.
Brooke said she has noticed the extra demand. “We went to finals last year, and we were lucky enough to get upgraded. But the stand was empty, compared to this year, it’s sold out.”
The family will be watching Sunday’s match from home, but on separate TVs. “I’m at home watching it, it’s got to be quiet around me,” Andrew said.
While the Storm has brought them together, the Rushbys won’t get too close. Xavier, whose favourite player is winger Xavier Coates, is happy to watch it without his dad. “Because he keeps on yelling, it irritates me.”
