- NRL star bought a house six years ago
- His late father spent a lot of time working in the backyard
- It is now expected to fetch $1.6 million at auction
When Melbourne Storm enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona leaves his Essendon home for the final time, he leaves behind a little piece of family history.
The NRL star has put his Essendon home up for auction, hoping to get $1.5 million to $1.6 million for the family property he has called home for six years.
While potential buyers will pay close attention to the four bedrooms, modern kitchen and bathroom and entertainment areas, one feature Asofa-Solomona will miss most will be the modest shed in the backyard.
That’s because his late father Vala built the shed by hand and tended the gardens in the backyard.
Asofa-Solomona’s late father Vala built the shed at his home in Essendon and enjoyed spending time working in the garden
The towering Melbourne Storm prop is now selling his Essendon property he bought six years ago
The Essendon home is going under the hammer and is expected to fetch $1.6 million at auction
“I think dad really enjoyed the house and was very proud of it,” Asofa-Solomona said.
Vala passed away in January 2023, but not before telling his New Zealand-born son how proud he was of him.
He even allowed the proud Kiwi to play for the Wallabies, at a time when Rugby Australia was trying to get the NRL star to defect.
“I’m very grateful that Eddie (Jones) and Hamish (McLennan) looked at me and that I looked at rugby seriously,” Asofa-Solomona said at the time.
“I felt like I gave a lot to rugby league and I thought I had a good chance of going into rugby.
‘Of course I’m a very proud Kiwi, but ultimately my mum and dad get the final say in everything I do in my career.
“Before my dad passed away he said, ‘I just want you to be happy, I don’t care if you play for the Wallabies.’
‘At the end of the day, I love the Storm too much – this is my home.’
Asofa-Solomona is currently in Fiji watching his Melbourne Storm teammates play Newcastle Knights in the NRL Pre-Season Challenge
Built for entertaining, the home features high ceilings, which was a selling point for Asofa-Solomona
One of the four bedrooms in the luxury property that the Storm star has put on the market
The New Zealand-born rugby league player, who played in the NRL grand finals with Melbourne in 2017 and 2020, bought the four-bedroom house at 85 Bradshaw St about six years ago.
Asofa-Solomona was attracted by the modern appearance, the low-maintenance spacious garden and the high ceilings of the two-storey building.
“I’m a tall guy and the high ceilings in the living room and hallway were beautiful,” Asofa-Solomona said.
The large open plan living and dining area, well equipped kitchen, study, sitting room and multiple bathrooms make it ideal for entertaining and living.
The house features American oak floors, plantation shutters, zoned duct heating, refrigerated cooling and a remote controlled garage.
It will be auctioned on March 2 with a price range of $1.5 million – $1.6 million.