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FOOTBALL TRIBUTE WATCH BY FALLEN SOLDIER’S PARENTS
MEMORIAL MATCH: Cameron Baird’s parents Kaye and Doug Baird watch the inaugural Cameron Baird memorial match from the corporate box. Picture: Katrina Docking.
IT’S ironic a Cameron Baird tribute now sits on a hill overlooking Burnie’s West Park Oval, says father Doug.
The memorial plinth of the Victoria Cross recipient lays close to the ground Mr Baird called home with the Cooee Football Club more than three decades ago.
Mr Baird played 130 games with the Bulldogs, winning two premierships and one state title.
Yesterday, he returned to the ground, this time watching Burnie Dockers and Devonport Magpies’ players honour his son’s legacy in commemorative football match.
He and wife Kaye were on the North-West attending the unveiling of their son’s memorial plinth at Burnie Park on Tuesday, and spoke of his life at a dinner held later that evening.
The 100th Victoria Cross recipient, Corporal Baird died in Afghanistan in June 2013 as he charged an enemy-held building three times to draw fire away from his Australian army comrades.
Mr Baird said the battlefield was his son’s turf, but the football field was a different story.
“It’s probably the one and only time I would be able to say to Cameron ‘look mate I’m equal footing with you, we are not on your battleground today we are on my battleground’,” he said.
“My association with this ground goes back to 1976 when I first played here … so I have a strong affiliation with this particular lump of turf out here.”
Mr Baird said football mirrored the characteristics his son and every soldier showed in the armed forces.
“A game of football has a lot of the characteristics of the thing that Cameron did on the battlefield and that requires some leadership at different times, it requires some extra courage at different times and I think we see that constantly displayed in what our soldiers do,” he said.
A medallion in Corporal Baird’s name was presented to Burnie’s Harry Walters, the Dockers’ most courageous player.
Walters showed teamwork, commitment, leadership and strength, qualities possessed by Corporal Baird.
AN ANNUAL football match will commemorate Corporal Cameron Baird’s bravery.
The Burnie City Council, Burnie RSL sub-branch, Federal Member for Braddon Brett Whiteley and state MP Adam Brooks gathered to brainstorm ways to form long-lasting methods to remember Corporal Baird.
The football match was one of the ideas to come out of that meeting, as well as a memorial plinth, which will be unveiled on March 31 and a fundraising evening on the same night.
The football match will be held on Good Friday and will feature the Burnie Dockers and Devonport Magpies.
A commemorative football match was an appropriate choice under the circumstances as Corporal Baird was born in Burnie and loved football.
Corporal Baird’s father played for the Cooee Bulldogs when Corporal Baird was born.
The Cooee Bulldogs were later merged with the Burnie Tigers to make the Burnie Dockers.
“Cameron Baird was on the verge of a football career when he got an injury and chose the army instead,” Mr Davis said.
Following the match, a medallion will be presented in Corporal Baird’s name to the most courageous Burnie Docker player.
To receive the Corporal Cameron Baird Medal, the player needs to have shown teamwork, commitment, leadership and strength during the game as these were qualities possessed by Corporal Baird, according to Mr Davis.
This was supported by the Medal for Gallantry Corporal Baird received in 2008 and he was also awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously for the actions which cost him his life, but saved his mates in 2013.
A commemorative shield will be awarded to the winning team.
The game will be held on Good Friday, April 3, from 5pm at West Park Oval.
Burnie Dockers president Peter Vincent said entry to the game was free for RSL service members and military personnel.
HALL OF VALOUR UNVEILING BY DR BRENDON NELSON
The family of Corporal Cameron Baird VC MG, will today hand over their son’s Victoria Cross to the Australian War Memorial.
Baird’s Victoria Cross will be loaned to the Memorial, and displayed in the Hall of Valour in the coming months.
Baird’s name is also inscribed on the Memorial’s Roll of Honour, along with the other 39 Australians killed in action in Afghanistan.