AFL pays emotional tribute to slain couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies

Mr Baird, a former AFL umpire, and Mr Davies, a Swans fan, were allegedly murdered by police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon last month.

A ground announcer at the SCG asked people to stand for the tribute on Thursday night, saying the pair’s “lives were tragically cut short”.

“Jesse will be fondly remembered for his vibrant, fun-loving personality, his professionalism and his commitment to the next generation of young umpires through his mentorship of state league umpires,” the announcer said.

“Most importantly he will be remembered for the great, caring person that he was.

“The entire AFL family extend our deepest sympathies to both Jesse and Luke’s friends and family.

Both teams and the umpires lined up for the tribute, with flowers on a plinth and an umpire’s white flag resting against it on the ground.

The crowd applauded after the moment of silence.

Mr Baird began umpiring at the grassroots level as a teenager before makinghis AFL debut in 2020.

He moved from Queensland to Sydney last year to continue his career, which included 62 matches — two of which were finals matches.

“Jesse was a popular and respected member of our AFL umpiring family, Luke a lifelong Sydney Swans supporter,” an AFL statement read earlier this week.

“The AFL acknowledges and respect both families who are experiencing untold grief and so are particularly grateful for their support of the tribute.”

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said the tribute was a “small way” to pay respect.

“Jesse developed many close friendships during his umpiring career and time at the AFL. He was such a vibrant, fun-loving person, who was deeply committed to umpiring,” he said.

Police allege Lamarre-Condon used his work gun to kill the pair, whose bodies were found in surfboard bags dumped along a fence at a property in Bungonia.