Storm will always be home for Moorhead, but new challenge awaits

Gun midfielder Moorhead is based in Melbourne and after several years of travelling up the Calder to play with the Storm has opted to continue his career with Essendon District league premier division club Pascoe Vale, located just a couple of minutes from his home.

As well playing with Pascoe Vale Moorhead is also intending to continue his VFL career with Essendon, with whom he played four games with this year.

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"The only reason I've made the decision to play at Pascoe Vale is based around having done a few years of travel and now with work commitments being busy and getting married later this year, I just need a year off the highway," Moorhead said this week.

"It has worked out well because Essendon's VFL coach this year (Leigh Tudor) has moved to Pascoe Vale, so it made sense to go there.

"But the decision is based around the travel factor and probably a bit where I'm at that age now where if I don't try something different then I probably never will. I still feel I've got a bit to give in terms of my footy and still a lot to work on."

Moorhead departs the Storm with a decorated resume that includes winning two senior premierships with the club in 2017 and 2019, plus the Michelsen Medal-club best and fairest double last year.

He's also had success at under-age level as well with the Storm, co-captaining the club's inaugural under-18 premiership team in 2015.

"I've been at Strathfieldsaye since the under-18s and I look at it as my home club," Moorhead said.

"It was a very tough decision to decide to leave and one I've been tossing up for ages, but again, it comes back to the travel factor.

"In terms of what the club has done for me, it has done everything and been the reason why I've been able to have not only team success, but some personal success as well.

"The relationships and friendships I've been able to make with the players, coaches and all the volunteers is something that kept me coming back while I have been living in Melbourne over the past few years.

"I can't speak more highly of what the club has done for me in the terms of the culture and community feel the club offers."

Moorhead, 26, is the fourth Michelsen Medal winner to depart the BFNL this off-season along with Sandhurst's Lee Coghlan, Golden Square's Jack Geary and the Storm's Lachlan Sharp, with whom Moorhead co-captained Strathfieldsaye with this year.

Renowned as one of the hardest-running players in the BFNL, Moorhead won the Michelsen Medal with 19 votes last year in what was a season in which, according to Premier Data, he averaged 32.5 disposals and 5.5 clearances per game.

This year Moorhead averaged 30.9 and 5.6 clearances in 12 games for the Storm.

"I was fortunate to co-captain the club's first under-18 premiership and then over the past eight years have been able to progress to become one of the older boys of the senior group in terms of a leadership perspective," Moorhead said.

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"I guess my journey highlights how much the club has done in terms of prioritising putting work into its junior players to help them become senior players."

Pascoe Vale finished third in the EDFL premier division this year, bowing out of the premiership race with a 52-point preliminary final loss to Strathmore.

Like Pascoe Vale, Moorhead's season with the Storm also ended this year with a preliminary final defeat.

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