- NRL teams paid tribute to victims of the Bondi Junction tragedy
- Six people died following a frenzied attack by Joel Cauchi, 40
- The Roosters and Storm paid tribute on Thursday night
The Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm observed a minute silence on Thursday as the two footy sides played for the first time since the horror Bondi Junction attack.
Six people died as a result of a stabbing frenzy by Joel Cauchi at Westfield Bondi Junction, a shopping mall local to the Roosters football club.
Last Saturday’s incident sent shockwaves throughout Australia and sent the nation into mourning, with tributes pouring in from the world of sport.
And ahead of their return to the footy paddock for the first time since the tragedy, the Roosters and the Storm came together for a minute of reflection.
The fans in attendance at Allianz Stadium observed the silence impeccably.
Roosters stars also wore black armbands in a mark 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’.
‘This is the people that come and support our clubs and to have it so close to home … it’s a terrible tragedy that’s unfolded 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 those killed.
Five women and one man died in the stabbing attack on Saturday at Bondi Junction Westfield shooping centre, while seven victims remain in hospital, including an infant girl, whose condition has improved from critical to serious.
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 by police at the scene.
‘I was talking to Trent Robinson about it last night you know, this is our clubs’ areas,’ Longmire said.
‘It’s just five minutes away and all of our kids go there (Bondi Junction Westfield), our kids families go there, our friends. We go there, we travel there all the time. And just by a stroke of luck, they – you know, our friends and our family weren’t there but a lot of people were.’
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