Budding rugby league stars at The Grange P-12 College in Hoppers Crossing are getting a helping hand in realising their NRL dreams, with the school participating in a high-performance program run by the Melbourne Storm.
A renowned nursery for both rugby codes, The Grange is one of four rugby league academy schools across Victoria participating in the Storm’s high performance program.
The program involves the Storm’s full-time pathway coaches and staff conducting weekly sessions at the school’s, while a number of current Melbourne Storm NRL players will make guest appearances too.
Storm Director of Football, Frank Ponissi said partnering with academy schools such as The Grange was already paying dividends for the club.
“83% of our current under 17 and under 19 junior rep teams attend one of the four academy schools in Victoria,” said Ponissi who hopes the introduction of the high-performance program will further enhance this talent pathway.
“Introducing the coaching philosophies that we use at Storm and offering support in strength and conditioning, nutrition and player welfare and support, will ensure these pathways are further strengthened well into the future. It will also help us to identify other players not yet in our junior rep system.”
