Inside Melbourne
The machine finally missed a beat.
Melbourne missed the finals for the first time in a decade, their year ended by Penrith in August. Nothing in the record prepares a reader for that sentence: the best all-time win rate in the game, the best of the last ten years, premierships in 2017 and 2020, plus the 2007 and 2009 titles the salary cap took back after $3.17 million turned up outside it. The club has spent the period pulling its system in-house, ending three feeder arrangements to field its own reserve grade side and naming 93 football staff, 60 of them in pathways. Off the field the story is the sale: Swedish investor EQT's entry into the ownership was announced in August, pending NRL approval, The Australian's headline putting a controlling stake at $150 million. Craig Bellamy is discussing successors. He has been for a while.
- Privately held: Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club Ltd, Matt Tripp chairman. No operator accounts published; EQT's stake and terms await approval.
- 93 named football staff, 60 in pathways, a complete published count. Tenant at AAMI Park; Seabrook Reserve opened 2024 with $14.3 million from Victoria.
Checked 21 August 2026 · Evidence medium
At a glance
- Home crowd, 2026: 19,075 across 12 home matches, down 8,863 on 2025
- Members, 2026: 34,615, published by Melbourne Storm
- Following: 1,724,077 across 5 platforms
- Brand value, 2024: $55M, 7th of 17 clubs
- Who owns the club: Private shareholders; EQT investment pending approval
- Accounts we can see: No current audited club accounts located
- Training base: AAMI Park and Olympic Park precinct · tenant
- Head coach: Craig Bellamy
Ownership & Financials
- Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club Limited is privately controlled; Matt Tripp is chairman and a shareholder and exact holdings are not public.
- The Storm announced EQT's entry into their ownership group on 19 August 2026, subject to NRL and regulatory approval.
Following & Sponsorship
- Major Partner: RedZed
- Platinum Partner: Budget Direct
Leadership
- Justin Rodski, Chief Executive Officer
- Frank Ponissi, Director of Football
- Matt Tripp, chair
Football Department
- Craig Bellamy, Head coach
- Marc Brentnall, Assistant coach
- Aaron Bellamy, Assistant coach
- Ryan Hinchcliffe, Assistant coach
- Mark Russell, NSW Cup head coach
- Tim Smith, NSW Cup assistant coach
- Dan Murphy, Jersey Flegg head coach
- Kade Roberts, Jersey Flegg assistant coach
- Jackson Brenchley, Jersey Flegg assistant coach
- Jason Warr, Jersey Flegg assistant coach
- Matt Duffie, SG Ball head coach
- Shannon Love, SG Ball assistant coach
- Justin O'Neill, SG Ball assistant coach
- Laurie Moody, SG Ball assistant coach
- Ryan Hoffman, SG Ball assistant coach
- Caine Sinclair, Harold Matthews head coach
- Ash Lanfranchi, Harold Matthews assistant coach
- Arana Taepa, Harold Matthews assistant coach
- Joseph Hanman, Harold Matthews assistant coach
- Ben Roarty, Harold Matthews assistant coach
- Jack Gould, Tarsha Gale head coach
- Henry Strickland, Tarsha Gale assistant coach
- Waka Wanahi, Tarsha Gale assistant coach
- Hayley Tipene, Tarsha Gale assistant coach
- Tasheena Toamau, Tarsha Gale assistant coach
- Janan Billings, Lisa Fiaola head coach
- Anthony Adams, Lisa Fiaola assistant coach
- Terry Martin, Lisa Fiaola assistant coach
Facilities
- AAMI Park and Olympic Park: NRL home venue, club office and access to shared elite training and recovery facilities within a state sporting precinct.
- Seabrook Reserve: State rugby league and community centre used by the Storm's female pathway programs, youth development, NRL Victoria and community users.
Pathways
- Melbourne replaced three feeder agreements with their own NSW Cup side and now field men's teams from under-17s to NRL. Their first women's teams began in 2026, but the ladder stops at under-19s.
- The Storm field seven club teams in 2026: NRL, a standalone NSW Cup side, Jersey Flegg, SG Ball, Harold Matthews, Tarsha Gale and Lisa Fiaola.
- The feeder agreements with Brisbane Tigers, Sunshine Coast Falcons and North Sydney Bears ended after the 2025 season when the Storm launched their own NSW Cup team.
- The Storm's first official female pathway teams, Lisa Fiaola (U17) and Tarsha Gale (U19), began in 2026; the club holds no NRLW licence.
Results
- All-time win rate: 66.2% (All first-grade games), 1st of 17
- Last 10 seasons: 71.5% (2017–2026), 1st of 17
- Last 3 seasons: 65.4% (2024–2026), 2nd of 17
- Team Rating: 80.0 (2026 season), 7th= of 17
- Premierships: 4 (Since 1998), 7th= of 17
- Finals seasons: 25 (Since 1998), 8th= of 17
Sources
Melbourne: squad and cap · Every club, inside · Tell us we’re wrong