BEN’S GRAND FINAL HOPES
CHEERING ON OUR NRL STAR
SOME Mareeba coffee beans might make their way to Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy today courtesy of Megan and Murray Hampton.
Anything to convince him to give their 24-year-old son Ben Hampton a run off the bench in the NRL grand final tomorrow.
The closer the game gets, the more the laid-back country attitude wilts away into typically nervous parental vibes.
But the Gladiators junior has become accustomed to playing the waiting game.
Often in the 17 as he is this week, no one apart from Storm coaching staff can say whether at the last minute they will opt for size over his uniquely versatile skills, or keep him on the bench and not use him at all as was the case in the preliminary final last weekend.
Hampton has been trying to cement a place in the Storm line-up since making his debut in 2013 but his pursuit to be on the precipice of earning an NRL premiership ring started much earlier.
His energy as an anklebiter growing up in Temora, NSW, was channelled to the sporting field, first through soccer and then rugby league.
Hampton was 12 when the family moved north to run Mareeba Country Van Park, which his grandma bought in 2001, and he dominated the Eacham Junior Rugby League so much so by the time he was 14, the Storm had him on a development contract.
After going through numerous representative programs, he left for Melbourne two days after he graduated Year 12 to chase his dream.
“Regardless of what happens, whether he gets on the field or not, we are just so proud of him being our son,” Megan said. “He’s a very loyal, very humble, down-to-earth sort of a kid.
“It’s not about the footy, it’s about the person he is. That’s the person I’m proud of the most. This is just a bonus.
“For someone’s childhood dreams to come through and maybe participate in a grand final is pretty amazing.
“It’s really exciting for us all. Taylah and Chloe (younger sisters) are also coming with us on the weekend.”
She said while she would be happy to see Ben spend a bit more time at home from next season after taking up a deal with the North Queensland Cowboys, she knew how much the Storm family meant to him.
FOR SOMEONE’S CHILDHOOD DREAMS TO COME THROUGH AND MAYBE PARTICIPATE IN A GRAND FINAL IS PRETTY AMAZING MUM MEGAN HAMPTON
“Those boys are all closeknit and they’re a good bunch of boys and they’re very tight, which is always good for a mum, to know they look after each other,” Megan said.
Murray said whatever happened tomorrow, he was grateful for the Storm’s part in helping Ben develop his career. It might even bring nerves out of the man his son credits for his laid-back approach to life on the Tablelands.
“I’m pretty calm at the moment. I think until I get there, when I get to that ground, then I reckon it will start to kick in then. I’ll be getting a few butterflies and getting a bit excited and a bit anxious,” he said.