Andrew Symonds’ devastated wife and children clutched Akubras as family and friends gathered to bid one last emotional farewell to the cricket great.
They joined the cricketer’s former Australian teammates, fighting back tears as they gathered at Riverway Stadium on the outskirts of Townsville, north Queensland for a private funeral on Friday.
The service came almost a fortnight after the much-loved former Australian all-rounder, 46, veered off the road and fatally crashed his car.
Among the first to arrive just after 10am an hour prior to the service were Symonds’ wife Laura and their children Chloe and Will, each of them carrying hats in a nod to the Aussie larrikin.
Chloe celebrated her tenth birthday last week – just four days after her dad’s sudden death. Both she and little brother later bravely delivered eulogies.
They were followed a short time later by Symonds’ best friend, former Australian and Queensland teammate Jimmy Maher, who delivered a moving tribute hailed as the ‘best eulogy ever’.
A host of cricket greats have also travelled north, including Adam Gilchrist, Ian Healy, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Glenn McGrath, Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson.
West Indies legendary batsman Brian Lara and NRL legends Darren Lockyer and Gordon Tallis were also in attendance.
Gilchrist told Daily Mail Australia after the service Maher delivered the best eulogy he’d ever heard.
‘Jimmy Maher gave what I think is one of the most beautiful eulogies you could ever imagine.
‘He looked the kids in the eye and delivered a message of what he thought Roy would want him to say and it was really touching, really moving,
And my day’s just got better because I bumped into Will (Symonds’ son) then and he’s said to me “guess what Gilly? I’m now wicket keeper.’
‘Sorry Roy,’ he said, looking at the sky. ‘I poached him.’
When trying to describe what Symonds was like ‘as a mate’, Gilchrist had to take a moment – tears welling in his eyes.
‘He was a pure heart, he found his way into trouble as good as anyone, but when he did he was remorseful … and then he’d dust himself off and have another go,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
He was loyal, almost to a fault. Mischievous character, but he would do whatever it took to help others – in and off the field.
‘The service was simply beautiful. I’ve not seen a congregation as moved as they were today – full of sadness, but also such beautiful memories of a guy who just gave so much of himself to so many people, unconditionally.’
When asked whether he could believe he was standing at Symonds’ funeral, Gilchrist said ‘No, I can’t’.
‘I can’t believe I was standing there, unable to speak ten minutes ago and I’m trying to talk now, openly and honestly.
‘I literally can’t believe he’s gone, nor could anyone who was at that service today.’
A note was sent to guests saying ‘no tie necessary’ to reflect Symonds’ casual personal style. Throughout his career, he often showed up to semi-formal events wearing shorts and t-shirts.
Former teammates took the brief seriously with chinos and button-up shirts, while others wore three-piece suits.
Many attendees were also dressed in maroon in a nod to Symonds’ love for his home state Queensland.
Mourners greeted each other with hugs, holding back tears, as they came together to pay tribute to Symonds and celebrate his life.
The order of service featured a poem titled ‘You ripper Roy’ celebrating Symonds’ life penned by poet Rupert McCall, which he also read out at the service in honour of his good mate.
‘Fate marks a moment in everyone’s life, the tide turns at dusk and the big fish are rife,’ it reads.
‘Instinct befriends you and confidence grows, talent takes over and everything flows.
‘Where to from here? Well, with him, who’s to say? The ocean is deep and the fella can play.
‘For now, let’s acknowledge the dream of a boy, and the day he fulfilled it…’You ripper Roy’.’
Guests at the service were sombre – completely silent as they sat in the middle of the stadium, as piano played softly in the background.
They were urged to make a donation to Royal Flying Doctor Service in lieu of flowers.
Symonds’ smiling face could be seen on three screens, and on a photo above the coffin – adorned with flowers, sitting behind a table with cricket caps and trinkets.
Cricket stumps were positioned around the marquees.
Nigel Fairbairn was first to speak after the service was opened with a song called ‘Knee Deep’, by Zac Brown Band.
‘I welcome you here to celebrate the life of Andrew Symonds,’ he began.
‘The gratitude his family extends to you all, with the acknowledgement to people who have travelled long distances.
‘Rejoice in the life he led. Celebrate it and learn from it.
‘Andrew’s life was a life well-lived, albeit cut short too early.’
Symonds’ children Chloe and Billy were next to speak, followed by his mother Barbara and sister Louise.
Former Australian and Queensland teammate Matthew Hayden also delivered a video tribute.
As a photographic tribute video played to John Williamson’s iconic hit True Blue, Jimmy Maher – Symonds’ best friend – broke down.
Little Chloe got up from her seat in the front row and gave him a big hug, before she hopped on to her mum’s lap.
Maher tried to maintain composure, taking swigs from a water bottle, before he got up to deliver the eulogy.
Few people knew Symonds better than Maher, his long-time friend and former teammate. The pair first began playing cricket together in the under-10s in the nearby town of Charters Towers.
One of Maher’s fondest memories of the pair’s 30-year friendship was being part of Australia’s victorious 2003 World Cup squad.
Last week, Maher pledged his support to Symonds’ children while speaking with Daily Mail Australia.
The flags were at half-mast as the hearse left the stadium after the service, just before 12.30.
Family, friends and former teammates slowly made their way up the stairs and into a private room in the stadium for the wake – in a sea of black, deep blues, and maroon, the colour of Queensland cricket organisation, the Bulls Masters.
Some guests walked arm-in-arm, comforting each other after saying goodbye to the father-of-two.
Former teammate Matthew Mott told Daily Mail Australia everyone has been ‘dreading this day’.
‘But I just thought it was an outstanding tribute to a great human being,’ he said.
‘It was tough – I was in eyeline with the kids there and I just kept thinking about how he won’t get to see them grow up. He loved them so much and they meant so much to him.
‘I suppose the thing I take out of it is the amount of fishing trips I knocked back because we all got too busy, and you’d just love that opportunity to get back out there and do that again with him.
‘For me, he was like a brother. One of those blokes you take for granted and you think they’ll always be there.
‘You could tell there were a lot of people hurting in there today.
‘It’s a sad moment but it was a great service that celebrated a life well lived. It’s a shame it’s been cut so short and he had so much more to give to a lot of people.
‘Those kids grew up with a loving father and they know he’ll be overlooking them for many years to come.
‘His mum Barbara got up and told a lot of stories about when he was younger – I think a lot of those stories were assumed knowledge, but there wasn’t a dry eye in the house from about half way through.’
Asked how the cricket community was coping with the loss of three greats within just a few months, Mott said he couldn’t make sense of it.
‘I still feel a bit numb about the whole thing.’
‘This one has just rocked us – not just the cricket community, but everyone.’
A public service will be held and live-streamed later on Friday afternoon, which gets underway at 2.30pm.
The queue outside the stadium ahead of the public funeral was a few hundred people deep – as Australians from all over flocked to the event.
Queensland cricket officials thought they’d struggle to fill the grandstand, being a school and work day, but it was clear from the moment the doors opened that populating the stands would not be a problem.
One fan said he happened to be in Townsville and thought he’d go to the service.
‘Always loved cricket, and I watched Roy, and I happened to be in town,’ he said.
‘I didn’t go to Shane Warne’s funeral.’
One woman carried a large bunch of flowers into the venue, while others wore Queensland cricket tshirts or green and gold jerseys.
Fans sat in the middle of the stadium while loved ones watched on from the wake – which was held over the grandstand.
The service kicked off with a video showing stills from Symonds’ childhood, and work of his greatest moments in cricket – namely, the moment he leveled a streaker on the pitch.
It was a favourite among the crowd on Friday afternoon.
Instead of curating a sad event, organizers made an effort to keep the mood upbeat. Cricket moments aside, videos and photos of Symonds fishing in Townsville were shown to hundreds of fans.
‘Applause is good,’ Ian Healy told the crowd when the film concluded.
‘Today’s celebration follows a beautiful service this morning where every participant pegged Roy incredibly well.’
‘To Barb, Laura, Louise, Nick, Chloe and Billy, we thank you for allowing us to be together. None of us were sure whether Roy would like this or not – he did rate pomp or ceremony, but when he did rate something, he rated it fiercely.’
Healy said watching Symonds master cricket and his work in the broadcast box made him ‘incredibly proud’.
Greg Rowell was the only man in a suit, and said he felt unsure about wearing it because ‘Roy didn’t care for suits’.
‘Roy would find it funny that I’m the only one here in a suit,’ he told the audience.
He told the crowd about a moment Symonds, Matthew Mott and another friend were on a boat near Morton Island when it broke down – forced to swim an hour back to shore in shark and crocodile-infested waters.
‘Roy and Matt swam ahead but the other guy was struggling, so they kept having to go back and help him.
‘Matt said he worried about the other guy, but never Roy’ due to his strength and perseverance.
Rowell said what started as funny situation could have ended in tragedy, but Symonds made sure it didn’t – they made it safely back to shore.
When Symonds had the option of pla
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