At a private funeral, Shane Warne’s family and friends said him farewell
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Shane Warne’s family and friends have said their goodbyes to the cricketing legend, who is remembered for “sprinkling fairy dust” wherever he went and always bringing his pals with him.
St Kilda Football Club had a private memorial ceremony. Pallbearers, including Warne’s son Jackson, draped two Saints scarves over the wooden coffin as it was brought from the funeral to a lap of honour around the Moorabbin Oval.
As mourners came to memorialize and honor the late Shane Warne, Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’ rang across St Kilda’s home stadium.
Following then, a small group of people gathered on the ground next to the hearse. A small number of people followed the funeral, including Warne’s three children Brooke, Jackson, and Summer, as well as his parents Keith and Brigitte.
The song ‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life’ from the film Dirty Dancing appeared on the playlist, and spectators clapped when Tina Turner’s ‘Simply the Best’ played as his hearse departed the ground.
Jackson was accompanied by his sisters Brooke and Summer, as well as Keith and Brigette Warne, Warne’s parents. As Tina Turner’s sporting anthem The Best sounded out, the group took turns placing their hands on the wooden coffin in a heartfelt goodbye.
Jackson Warne and his grandfather remained and were the last to leave the lawn, returning to the gathering mourners in an embrace.
Warne’s former cricketing teammates and opponents, including former England captain Michael Vaughan, high-profile media colleagues Eddie McGuire and Sam Newman, poker friends, and those associated with his beloved St Kilda AFL club, including Aaron Hamill and Steven Baker, were among the approximately 80 people in attendance.
On March 4, Warne, 52, died of a heart attack while on vacation in Koh Samui, Thailand.
McGuire presided over the funeral and gave the eulogy.
Prior to the start of the funeral on Sunday morning, he expressed gratitude to the Warne family for the outpouring of support.
State Funeral for Shane Warne
On March 30, Warne will be honored with a state funeral at the MCG, which will be attended by at least 50,000 fans and feature famous friends.
The event will be free, with McGuire serving as a main organizer. Tickets and seating will be determined by a public poll. The public’s online ticketing system is still being tweaked, but cricket authorities indicated on Saturday that it should be available this week, maybe as early as Wednesday.
The quantity of tickets sold during the first 48 hours of availability will give organizers a better idea of how much people and resources they’ll need for the event. The event is expected to start at 7 p.m., according to organizers.
