Shane Warne‘s family and friends held a private funeral for the cricketing legend in Melbourne, with about 80 guests in attendance. Warne’s three children, Jackson, Brooke, and Summer, as well as his parents Keith and Brigette, attended the service, as did close friends such as retired Test captains Mark Taylor, Allan Border, and Michael Clarke, as well as former England captain Michael Vaughan. Bowling legends Merv Hughes and Glenn McGrath, as well as long-time teammates Mark Waugh and Ian Healy, were in attendance.
Elizabeth Hurley, Warne’s former partner, was unable to join in the celebration of a larger-than-life persona who transcended his sport.
Late Saturday, she said on Instagram, “My heart aches that I can’t be in Australia tomorrow for Shane’s funeral.”
She included photos of the pair celebrating their engagement in Sri Lanka with the message.
Eddie McGuire, a close friend and television personality, delivered the eulogy and served as the MC for the private event at St Kilda Football Club.
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Guests were encouraged to wear St Kilda scarves, and two scarves were draped across Warne’s coffin as it was driven around the oval to the sound of the 1970s hit The Time of My Life by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes.
A champagne toast immediately followed the lap of honour.
As he led three cheers, McGuire urged the mourners to be louder.
“To Warnie,” he said.
“He was simply the best.”
Tina Turner’s anthem, which popularized the phrase “popular accolade,” was then played to applause.
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On March 4, Warne, 52, died of a suspected heart attack on the Thai resort island of Koh Samui.
On March 30, a state memorial will be held at the MCG, where the general public will be able to pay their respects.
The Great Southern Stand at the stadium will also be renamed in Warne’s honour. The death of the cricketing legend a little more than two weeks ago sparked an outpouring of grief from people all over the world.
Glenn Lalor, a St Kilda Cricket Club coach, reflected on his time playing with Warne in the early 2000s on Saturday.
“Every time Shane was available, he loved coming back and playing with us,” Lalor said.
“The boys appreciated playing with a legend.”
He was just a regular guy who wanted to be around and have a good time. He was never difficult to deal with, and he was always entertaining.”
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Warne, according to Lalor, ensured that even elite cricketers maintained a sense of joy.
“He had a point of difference,” he said. “There’s a lot of professionalism, I suppose, in cricket now but he just kept it real.”
“In our 168-year history, Shane was the greatest cricketer our club has produced,” said club president Paul Ryan. “However, he was also a great friend to many at our club and a supporter of our club. Shane is and will continue to be, greatly missed [but] we are very conscious that our loss needs to be kept in perspective with the devastation being felt by his children and family.”
