Westfield Bondi Junction: Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm pay poignant tribute to victims of horror attack in first match since six people died at shopping mall
- NRL teams paid tribute to the victims of the Bondi Junction tragedy
- Six people died after a frenzied attack by Joel Cauchi, 40
- The Roosters and Storm paid tribute on Thursday evening
The Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm held a minute’s silence on Thursday as the two football teams played for the first time since the horror attack at Bondi Junction.
Six people died as a result of a stabbing by Joel Cauchi in Westfield Bondi Junction, a shopping center near Roosters football club.
Saturday’s incident sent shockwaves across Australia and sent the nation into mourning, with tributes pouring in from the sporting world.
And ahead of their return to the footy paddock for the first time since the tragedy, the Roosters and Storm came together for a minute of reflection.
The fans present in the Allianz Stadium observed the silence impeccably.
Rooster stars also wore black bracelets out of respect.
Sydney Roosters paid tribute to the six victims of the Bondi Junction attack
The Roosters and Melbourne Storm observed a minute’s silence on Thursday evening
AFL club Sydney Swans will follow suit when they play the Gold Coast Suns on Sunday.
“This is our local community,” Swans coach John Longmire told reporters on Tuesday, saying the tragedy was “so close to home.”
“These are the people who come to support our clubs and to have it so close to home… it’s a terrible tragedy happening in our backyard.”
Longmire said he had spoken to Sydney Roosters coach Robinson about the community coming together to support each other as the nation mourns the dead.
Five women and one man were killed in the stabbing attack at the Bondi Junction Westfield shooting center on Saturday, while seven victims remain in hospital, including a little girl, whose condition has improved from critical to serious.
Last Saturday, six people were murdered in the popular shopping center
The Bondi club wore black armbands as a mark of respect after the shocking attack
The killer, 40-year-old Queensland man Joel Cauchi, was shot dead at the scene by police.
“I was talking to Trent Robinson about it last night, you know, these are our clubs’ grounds,” Longmire said.
“It’s only a five minute drive and all our kids go there (Bondi Junction Westfield), our kids’ families go there, our friends. We go there, we travel there all the time. And by a stroke of luck, our friends and our family weren’t there, but a lot of people were.”