IT'S 50 years now since Doug Baird played his first senior game for the Carlton Football Club. It happened on the afternoon of Monday, June 16, 1969, against North Melbourne at Arden Street - and the 18 year-old kid from Paramount put two over the goal umpire’s hat. 

Under coach Ron Barassi’s watch, Doug contributed substantially to the team’s 31-point win in that particular game . . . which all seems so very trite now when compared with the life and death stakes his boy Cameron later confronted in a very different theatre of battle.

Corporal Cameron Stewart Baird; VC, MG, was a soldier in the Australian Army who in 2013 was tragically killed whilst on operational service in Afghanistan. Cameron was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia, for acts of extraordinary gallantry, self-sacrifice and bravery, and is the 100th Australian to be bestowed with the pre-eminent award.

This week, Doug viewed an original portrait of his late son, which is to be permanently displayed at an Australian Defence Force base named in his honour. The portrait, completed by local artist George Petrou, was presented at a special event held at the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum (ANVAM) in Melbourne.

Asked to articulate his thoughts in viewing the image, Doug conceded: “It’s a hard question to answer”.

“In truth, a million things run through my mind and there’s so much I can’t put into words,” Doug said.

“But if I had to say anything about how I felt, the first words to come to mind are ‘pride’ and ‘satisfaction’ - immense pride and satisfaction that Cameron achieved what he wanted to do in life, which was to be successful - and I think the Victoria Cross justifies that.”

Members of the Carlton squad in the famous Premiership year of 1970. Doug Baird is pictured standing  in the back row between Kevin Hall on he left and Phil Pinnell. In the front row from left to right is Bruce Doull, Peter Smith (son of Norm) and Paul Hurst.

Having played two seasons with the likes of Nicholls, Jesaulenko and Walls at the elite level, and lost a son who gave his life for his country, Doug is truly qualified to answer the vexed question of what actually constitutes a hero. 

“It’s fair to say that when people use terminology like ‘heroes’ or ‘role modes’ in sport – and I’m not just saying AFL football but sport in general – it’s completely different altogether. But what I have found as I’ve travelled around is that people are starting to separate the two,” Doug said.

“The question of what constitutes a hero is a bit of a loaded question, because Cameron himself would never have seen himself better than anyone else, only the equal. He would have felt much the same way towards this portrait as that young lady who plays for our club does towards the statue - which really has nothing to do with her.

“To say of people like Cameron that they are normal human beings who found themselves in extraordinary situations would probably be a fairer comment. When you read the stories of soldiers of the past and the ones still alive, they didn’t go out to win a Victoria Cross - other things had to be done there and then.”

In the six years since Cameron’s passing, Doug, his wife Kaye and all those nearest and dearest have come to terms with the brutal reality “that he’s never going to walk through the front door again”. 

“You do think of him every day, so I doesn’t get any easier, but through the things that I do like visiting to schools, talking to the kids and showing them the Victoria Cross it’s like therapy in a lot of ways,” said Doug, who was this year awarded an OAM for services to veterans and their families. 

“It’s not easy, but there is a bit of relief and we’re making headway. On a personal level I’m not crying as much as I used to.” 

A precious memory Doug often draws upon is seeing Cameron run out for the Carlton Little League at VFL Park back in the early 1990s.

“Cameron was a little nipper at primary school back then and his dream was to play for Carlton,” Doug said. 

“I remember the game had finished and I couldn’t find him in the rooms, so I walked down the tunnel and there he was, sitting on the bench with all the Carlton boys.” 

Victorian Primary Schools’ Sports Association team members proudly display their medallions as Australian Champions of 1993. The Captain Cameron Baird stands in the back row at far left. Two to the right is the three-time Brisbane Premiership player Jonathan Brown and at the far right is the Collingwood Premiership player Leigh Brown. The 2004 John Nicholls Medallist and newly-appointed Carlton Senior Coach David Teague stands in the middle row, second from the left.

Not long after, Cameron captained the Victorian Primary Schools’ Sports Association team, which was crowned Australian Champions in 1993. Included with Cameron in its ranks was future AFL Premiership players Jonathon Brown, Leigh Brown and this club’s very own Senior coach David Teague.

Amongst those in attendance for the presentation of Cameron’s portrait was Serco Defence’s Managing Director, Clint Thomas, AM, CSC, whose organization facilitated the donation, along with Chairman and Director of the ANVAM Mark Johnston, and Brigadier David Smith AM DSM, of the Australian Defence Force.

Serco Defence is to support the artwork’s transfer to Camp Baird - the Australian Defence Force’s forward operating base at Al Minhad Air Base (AMAB) in the United Arab Emirates - so named in 2014 to honour the fallen hero. 

“We appreciate the gesture by Serco to build on Corporal Baird’s memory and legacy through art,” Johnston said at the presentation.

“Memorialising him in this way, provides a link to Corporal Baird’s own connection to the arts, most famously through his emotional musical tribute to his mate, Private Luke Worsley, which is just one of many ways Corporal Baird; VC, MG, will be remembered.” 

ANVAM focuses on multi-discipline Arts and Arts Therapy as a means of supporting the recovery of those veterans and serving members and families affected by the trauma of service and sacrifice, through pathways to healing and communication post war.

“Serco has a long and proud history supporting the ADF and I am pleased to see the portrait going to a base that honours the service and sacrifice of Corporal Baird; VC, MG,” Thomas said. 

“I am very pleased that we have been able to play a small part in ensuring this wonderful painting of Corporal Baird; VC, MG, can be put on permanent display in the forward operating base that proudly bears and honours his name.”