Shane Warne’s family and friends held a private funeral in Melbourne, gathering about 80 guests to say goodbye to Cricketing Great.
Warne’s three children, Jackson, Brooke and Summer, and parents Keith and Brigette, along with close friends, including retired test captains Mark Taylor, Allan Border and Michael Clarke, and former England skipper Michael Vaughan, attended the service.
Bowling greats Merv Hughes and Glenn McGrath and longtime teammates Mark Waugh and Ian Healy were also there.
Close friend and TV personality Eddie McGuire provided Eloly and was MC for the private event at St Kilda Football Club.
Guests were invited to wear a St Kilda scarf and two scarves were draped over Warne’s coffin as it circled the oval to the sound of 1980s Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes’ hit The Time of My Life.
The wave of honor was immediately followed by a champagne toast.
McGuire demanded the grief be louder as he led three screams.
“To Warnie,” he said.
“He was just the best.”
Tina Turner’s anthem, which turned the popular award into a household phrase, was then played to applause.
Warne, 52, died on March 4 from a suspected heart attack on the Thai resort island of Koh Samui.
At the MCG, a state monument will take place on March 30th, where the general public can express their respect.
The large southern position of the ground is also renamed in Warne’s honor.
The death of the cricketing legend just over two weeks ago has led to an excavation of grief by people around the world.
Glenn Lalor, a St Kilda Cricket Club coach, reflected on Saturday about his time with Warne in the early 2000s.
“Every time Shane was available, he would love to come back and play with us, which was great,” Lalor said.
“The boys enjoyed playing with a legend.
“He was just an everyday man who just wanted to be around and enjoy the day. He was never hard to care for, he was always fun.
Lalor said Warne is confident that even elite cricket has maintained a sense of joy.
“He had a difference,” he said. “There’s a lot of professionalism, I suppose, in cricket right now, but he just kept it right.”
Sign up to receive the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning
Club president Paul Ryan said: “Shane was the greatest cricketer our club has produced in its 168 year history.”
“However, just as importantly, he was also a great friend to many in our club [a] Supporters of our club.
“Shane is, and will continue to be, greatly missed [but] we are well aware that our loss must be kept in perspective with the destruction of his children and family.
Add Comment