- 65-year-old says he probably will not still be in game at age 70
- ‘I’m not quite sure how long the fire’s going to burn,’ he says
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy has flagged he might only have a few years left in first grade as he prepares for his record-equalling 10th grand final against Penrith on Sunday.
The Storm’s figurehead celebrated his 65th birthday on Thursday, and announced the milestone to hundreds of spectators at the NRL grand final fan festival at Sydney’s Circular Quay. But the Dally M coach of the year warned supporters he won’t be around for much longer.
“I’m not quite sure how long the fire’s going to burn, but at the end of the day, I don’t think I’ll see 70 out in footy,” he said.
The former Raiders first grader signed a one-year contract extension with the Storm in May, the latest in a series of 12-month deals with the Melbourne franchise.
At the time time he shared how his motivation ebbs and flows. “Sometimes [the fire] probably isn’t burning that much, but you go through different stages during the year, but also year to year,” he said.
On Thursday, he said he still expects high standards from himself and those around him, and it’s not success or the players he’s coaching that motivates him. “It’s a responsibility I’ve got, and I want to perform that responsibility as best I can, just like I expect from the players and everyone in our organisation. At the end of the day, we just want them to do their jobs the best they can. And if I expect that from them, well, I’ve got to be doing that myself.”
Dally M medal winner Jahrome Hughes said earlier this week that Bellamy won’t be able to maintain his expressive manner in the coaches’ box forever. “I think he’ll give himself a heart attack is he keeps coaching, he’s just too passionate,” he said.
Bellamy joked his memory isn’t what it used to be when asked to recall the 2020 decider between his club and Penrith. “I can’t remember what I did yesterday sometimes, so remember our last grand final? Yeah, I haven’t got many thoughts of that at all.”
This Sunday’s match will be Bellamy’s 10th season decider, tying the record held by 74-year-old Wayne Bennett, who has re-joined South Sydney for 2025.
Bellamy’s run of success at the Storm is the envy of other clubs, and Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said Melbourne were the model when he was working out how to bring success back to Penrith.
“When we set our sights on becoming something, I’m very attracted to consistent professional sports teams,” he said. “If you look across the world, and also the different team sports, I think Melbourne would stand up against anybody in terms of what they’ve been able to do for nearly 20 years.”
Bellamy started coaching Melbourne in 2003, and won his first premiership in 2007.
