SPORT
FOOTBALL
By LIAM DURKIN
CHAMPION Gippsland footballer Scott Pendlebury has joined a chorus of sporting stars calling for a Commonwealth Royal Commission following the deadly attack at Bondi last month.
The Collingwood games record holder and Sale resident has countersigned an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese demanding action.
More than 60 athletes past and present are heaping pressure on the Prime Minister, who is yet to announce a Commonwealth Royal Commission, despite extensive public backlash.
“We will have a New South Wales Royal Commission that will look at the actions clearly of New South Wales authorities, including the police response, gun licencing issues that are the prerogative of the New South Wales government,” the Prime Minister said at a press conference on December 30.
“But also, we’ve said very clearly that the Commonwealth government will cooperate with those processes and will provide whatever information is requested and is necessary during those processes.
“Of course, there are lessons to be learned and we, of course, will fully support New South Wales in that process. But in the meantime as well, we want to make sure that there are no gaps in the federal system.”
Pendlebury was one of the main athletes featured on the front page of last Sunday’s (January 4) Herald Sun, with a photo of him next to the headline ‘THIS IS NOT OUR AUSTRALIA’, with the word ‘our’ underlined in red.
Other AFL greats to sign the letter include Leigh Matthews, Chris Judd and Anthony Koutoufides.
Emotional scenes played out on Day 1 of the SCG Ashes Test, as emergency services and community responders were given a guard of honour by both teams.
The loudest cheer was saved for Ahmed al-Ahmed, the fruit shop owner who bravely disarmed one of the gunmen.
Fighting back tears and with his left arm in a sling, he was given a standing ovation by the 50,000-strong crowd.
