Dr. Rob Moodie appointed Melbourne Storm chairman

The Melbourne Storm board today ratified the appointment of Dr. Rob Moodie as chairman of the club effective immediately.

Melbourne Storm CEO, Brian Waldron, believes the appointment of Dr. Moodie, who is a well known Victorian identity, will further enhance the respect of the club in the marketplace.

"The club is thrilled that Rob has agreed to undertake this important position," said Waldron.

"In the past 12 months we have seen the Melbourne Storm brand continue to increase in profile and credibility.

"The appointment of Dr. Moodie to this position certainly is a reinforcement of Melbourne Storm's strength, and its position as an integral player, in the Victorian sporting landscape."

The chance to be so heavily involved in an organisation that is clearly making great strides in the sporting marketplace was an opportunity too good to pass up for Dr. Moodie.

"I'm really happy to take on the role, particularly as it comes at such a fantastic time for Melbourne Storm in Melbourne," said Dr. Moodie.

"It's great to be associated with not only a great football team, but also a great club that is really going places.

"The enthusiasm, skill and character of both the on-field team and the backroom staff is something I really want to be a part of."

Clearly delighted to be chairman of a successful national rugby league club, it is the club's commitment to junior development that really struck a chord.

"The fact that the club's also committed to growing quality sport in Victoria for young kids is fantastic," said Dr. Moodie.

"It's not only the Melbourne Storm as an elite team that inspires me, but also the development of rugby league in Victoria that attracted me.

"Growing rugby league in Victoria is not about football code competition, it's about giving children another option of playing good, healthy sport. Physical activity, as well as participating in team games, is vital for child development."

Dr. Rob Moodie graduated in medicine from the University of Melbourne in 1976 and later trained in Tropical Medicine at Paris University and Public Health at Harvard University.

Since 1979 he has worked for Save the Children Fund, and Medicins San Frontieres in the Sudan; for Congress, the community-controlled Aboriginal Health Service in Alice Springs, and for the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Joint UN Program on AIDS (UNAIDS) in Uganda, Cameroon and Geneva.

Dr. Moodie has been CEO of the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation since 1998, is currently Chair of the Premiers Drug Prevention Council, a member of several Boards including the Foundation for Young Australians, DepressioNet, Ormond College, the Foreign Ministers' Aid Advisory Council, the Asia Pacific Leadership Forum on HIV/AIDS, and Chair of the Technical Panel of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's India AIDS Initiative.

He is co-editor of three books including Hands on Health Promotion. In 2005 Dr Moodie was named Victorian Father of the Year.

He is married to Anne Christie, a physiotherapist and has two children Nick 20, and Penny 18.

Dr. Moodie first played rugby league in the under 4½ stone team at Hamilton South Sate School in Newcastle. He later played rugby union for Victoria.