The AFL world is rallying around the family of Ashlee Good following the new mother’s death in the Bondi Junction mass stabbing attack on Saturday.
The 38-year-old died at St Vincent’s Hospital hours after she and her nine-month-old daughter Harriet were stabbed. Harriet remains in a serious but stable condition.
Good is the daughter of former North Melbourne player and board member Kerry, a Tasmanian Football Hall of Famer, and his first wife Denise.
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Melbourne grand finalist and 250-game star Steve Febey mourned his close friend on Sunday.
“Words fail me, absolutely shattered,” Febey wrote along a series of pictures of himself and Good together.
“Can’t comprehend how this could happen to the most amazing, beautiful and caring human.
“I will always cherish our friendship, five stars, and the great times we shared. Love ya forever Ash xx.”
North Melbourne president Sonja Hood said the club was “tremendously saddened” by Good’s death, saying she was “well known and loved by many” in its community.
Her father accepted the Kangaroos’ offer for their players to honour Good with black armbands for their game against Geelong on Sunday.
“Like all Australians, we were horrified to see the awful details coming out of Sydney on Saturday,” 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.”
North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson choked up in an emotional plea in a TV interview moments before the game.
“It’s shocking for our club and the Good family,” he said.
“Kerry’s been a significant part of our club for a long time, it’s just so sad. Ashlee and that beautiful little girl Harriet, not going to have a mum — it breaks our hearts.
“What breaks our hearts even more is humanity, this is happening in our country. We’re going to get the same excuse … we’ve got to do something about it.
“There’s got to be a time where it just stops. The strange part about it, you get to the next day and all these boys (players) get to do what they just love and that’s been denied to Ashlee and five other families.
“Our hearts are pretty low today.”
Clarkson was embraced during the interview by Cameron Mooney, who began his career at North Melbourne in the late 1990s when Kerry Good was a board member.
The Good family issued a statement earlier on Sunday and confirmed baby Harriet is “doing well”.
The nine-month-old was taken to Sydney Children’s Hospital at Randwick for emergency surgery and is in a serious but stable condition.
“Today we are reeling from the terrible from the terrible loss of Ashlee, a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, all-round outstanding human and so much more,” the family said.
“We appreciate the well wishes and thoughts of members of the Australian public who have expressed an outpouring of love for Ashlee and our baby girl.”
The Australian sporting community also rallied around the family of horse racing and rugby league identity John Singleton on Sunday.
His 25-year-old daughter Dawn was identified as one of the victims.