Bondi Junction stabbing: North Melbourne Football Club will wear black armbands in memory of Ashlee Good

Phil HickeyThe Nightly
VideoNorth Melbourne are rallying around the family of former player Kerry Good after his daughter's death in the Bondi stabbing attack.

The North Melbourne Football Club is wearing black armbands on Sunday as a mark of respect to Bondi stabbing victim Ashlee Good - whose father played 74 games for the club.

New mum Ashlee Good is being remembered as an “all round outstanding human” by her grieving family after her death in the Westfield Bondi Junction massacre.

The Sydney woman died on Saturday night after bravely saving her nine-month-old daughter, who was stabbed several times in her pram by attacker Joel Cauchi.

Ms Good was one of six people killed in the shocking attack.

In a statement released on Sunday morning ahead of its game with Geelong, the North Melbourne Football Club said it was extending its deepest sympathies to the Good family.

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“Ashlee Good is the daughter of past player and former board member Kerry Good and his first wife Denise. Kerry played 74 games for the Kangaroos from 1977-83 and served as a director during North Melbourne’s successful run through the 1990s,” the statement read.

“Ashlee is the second of Kerry’s four children and was known and loved by many in the North Melbourne community.”

The statement said Mr Good and his family had accepted the club’s offer for North Melbourne players to wear black armbands in honour of Ashlee in the match against Geelong on Sunday afternoon.

The statement also included comments from North Melbourne President Dr Sonja Hood, who said those connected to the club were tremendously saddened by the news.

“Like all Australians, we were horrified to see the awful details coming out of Sydney on Saturday,” Dr Hood said.

“To learn later that Ashlee and her daughter were victims in this tragedy really brings something like this close to home.

“Our thoughts and condolences go to all those impacted by the awful events, especially to Ashlee’s partner Daniel Flanagan, Kerry and Dian, Ashlee’s mother Denise, and Ashlee’s extended family and friends.

“Kerry and his family are incredibly important people in our club’s history and we offer them our love and support through what is an unimaginably difficult time.”

Ahead of Sunday’s game, an emotional Kangaroos coach Alastair Clarkson held back tears as he spoke about the tragedy.

“It’s shocking for our club and in particular the Good family, Kerry’s been a significant part of our club for a long time but it was just so sad,” Clarkson said.

“It’s just so sad. Ash, with her beautiful little girl Harriet, not going to have a mum.

“It breaks our heart.

“All these boys get to do what they just love and that’s been denied to Ashlee and denied to five other families, but we’ve got a game of footy we’ve got to play now. Our hearts are pretty low today.”

It came as AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon also gave his condolences to the Good family.

“I know so many people who know Kerry and the family are hurting and the football world is united in its sympathy for the Good family and the many people across our North Melbourne and football community and the wider community who have been affected by this attack,” Mr Dillon said.

“You shudder when you hear the news on Saturday and find it hard to comprehend that an activity that is so normal and so common to every Australian family, could end so tragically.

“As a football person I know everyone across the football family will join the North Melbourne Football Club and their supporters in offering our condolences to all impacted by Saturday’s attack, particularly Ashlee’s partner Daniel Flanagan, Kerry and Dian, Ashlee’s mother Denise, and Ashlee’s extended family and friends.”

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