MOTIVATION BEHIND VUNIVALU’S RISE
He’s a 3,914 kilometre flight from home but he only needs to look at his Facebook feed for motivation. It’s on the internet he can see his entire family and their closest hundred or so friends in a sea of purple, huddled around a tiny black box television.
The man they are there to see is Suliasi Vunivalu.
“Everyone turns up at home to watch me,” Vunivalu told foxsports.com.au. “All the locals come and my uncles and friends come and wear a purple jersey or collared shirt and cheer. “That makes me feel good that they’re supporting the team.”
The Melbourne flyer has fast become one of the most exciting names in the game following a breakout rookie season where he finished the year as the game’s top try scorer with 23 tries for the season.
LIFE IN SUVA
A product of Bagasau in Toorak, Suva, the 21-year-old’s star has continued to shine bright in his second season.
Having left home at the age of 16, social media has helped Vunivalu keep in touch with his family and he only needs to take a quick glance at Facebook before a game to draw motivation for a big performance. “There’s probably more than onehundred that will come and watch. It’s just a small normal TV,” he said with a chuckle.
“They jam as many people as they can and then put the TV outside for everyone to watch. I see it on Facebook. They take pictures and you see them in purple. Wearing last year’s gear that some of the boys gave me to send back.
“They (friends in Fiji) turn up in numbers. It makes me feel good and makes me want to keep pushing more. It motivated me when I’m playing.”
But his journey hasn’t been without difficulty.
When Vunivalu left his family home in Fiji for New Zealand to play rugby, he broke down and cried. Leaving behind his parents, father Sailosi and mother Kalesi, and five siblings, Vunivalu couldn’t think of any other way to help support his family. So tough, there were days where the family meals were just tea and cassava. Football had to be the answer. With three sisters and two brothers who still live in Fiji, it was all on his shoulders.
“We were struggling back home,” he said.
“Mum and dad were struggling to pay for our school fees. Three sisters and three brothers, I’m the second oldest one so I knew I had to do something to try and take the weight off my family.
“It was hard leaving my family. As soon as I got on that plane I cried the whole time until I got to New Zealand.
“It’s good they got me a laptop. I Skype them every night. It was a pretty hard move but I’m happy I did that.”
Initially the plan was to make it in the 15-man game.
BETTER LIFE
That was until Melbourne came calling with an opportunity in a game he’d never played … rugby league.
It was a code completely foreign to him. So much so, he would get tackled and place the ball behind him, rather than play it or get bailed into touch as he tiptoed the sideline.
“I remember my first game was in preseason against Canberra in the under 20s. I just kept running and they (the opposition) kept pushing me out,” he recalled.
“They said ‘this is not rugby union’. Rugby union it’s easy to get the ball back but I started learning.”
He learnt fast. Like meat and potatoes or chips and gravy — Vunivalu and rugby league go together.
Under the guidance of Marika Koroibete, it wasn’t long before the winger got his start courtesy of a backline injury crisis.
After hearing from his family who watched his debut on television, he was driven to keep the jersey he lucked into. “I always pinch myself,” he admitted. “I wouldn’t have thought last year I would come so early into the team, to play one game and stay to the grand final.
“My dream was just to play one or two games. It’s surreal. It’s been my dream to play with a couple of the best players in the world. It’s pretty special.”
Still Skyping his parents nightly, Vunivalu now has a new motivator to succeed, his son Beau.
“My family motivates me and him being there I want to play my best,” he said.
“When he grows up he knows I went through this. I don’t want him to go through what my family went through. I want him to have a better life.”