A BALLARAT Football League club committee member and his wife were aboard the ill-fated Malaysian Airlines flight that was shot down over Ukraine overnight.
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Sunbury's Albert and Marie Rizk, father of 2012 premiership player and current senior member James Rizk, were aboard Flight M17.
Sunbury Football Club president Phil Lithgow said the club was in complete shock by the news, with both people key figureheads at the club.
Albert Rizk was a committee member with the Lions, while Marie Rizk was also heavily involved with the club, volunteering countless hours at the canteen.
Their son, James, was named to play for Sunbury against Redan at City Oval tomorrow and has spent his entire playing career at Clarke Oval.
"We're all in complete shock, it's a tragedy," Lithgow said.
"James is very close to a lot of the boys and the club."
It is believed the couple were on holidays in Europe with another Sunbury couple and had tried to change flights to be with their travel companions, but were unsuccessful.
Lithgow said the club was still in shock and was yet to make any plans for Saturday's match, but would work with the family throughout the day and into the future.
BFL operations manager Aaron Nunn offered the league's deepest condolences to the Rizk family and said the BFL would work with Sunbury to appropriately honour the couple.
"The whole BFL community is absolutely shattered by the news," Nunn said.
"We will work with the Sunbury Football Club in the future with anything they need."
The league is also organising a sports chaplain to attend the club next week to counsel club members and those close to the Rizk's.