Aussie legend Shane Warne’s state memorial took place at the MCG on Wednesday night. With touching tributes from celebs, fellow sports stars and Warnie’s family, there was nary a dry eye in sight.
The memorial was touching and lovely. Family and friends remembered Warnie in all his glory. Including the time he once tried to get a guest spot on Peaky Blinders.
Former St Kilda player Aaron Hamill shared the story in a sweet panel hosted by Andy Lee.
“He said, ‘I’ve sent off an email to the producers of Peaky Blinders. I’d love to be part of your show. I’m a keen viewer’,” Hamill said.
The show did in fact respond to Warnie in an email.
“Dear Shane, thanks very much,” it said according to Hamill.
“We love your enthusiasm, but unfortunately porcelain veneers weren’t around in Birmingham in 1931.”
A truly iconic story. The panel also remembered Warnie’s legendary Kath & Kim cameo. Glenn Robbins aka Kel Knight gave some behind-the-scenes details of the ep. If you’ve never seen it, Shane Warne played a Shane Warne impersonator.
“Kel Knight, Shane Warne, pretty close,” Robbins joked.
“He was fantastic. He came on set, no entourage … he was so easy to work with and so much fun.”
“We had to play backyard cricket [in the episode] and we had to make out that he couldn’t play,” Robbins said.
“The problem was, even in backyard cricket he could play really well. So we said ‘Shane, play left handed, that’ll make you look stupid’.”
Alas, the plan didn’t work: Warnie was still brilliant. Then he gave the whole team a lesson on how to bowl a flipper.
The memorial also featured celebrities from home and overseas. In a video Eric Bana spoke about Warnie’s sporting career.
“Part magician, full-time showman, he mesmerised fans as he did the best batsmen in the world,” said Bana.
Later in the service Hugh Jackman and Kylie Minogue both gave tributes to Shane Warne.
Kylie shared a story about Shane and his mum and dad Bridget and Keith rocking up to her parents’ house for a barbecue.
“Shane with his blue eyes and big cheeky smile had it,” Kylie Minogue said.
“He had that star quality, that charisma that the world got to know and love. It was exactly the same on the front doorstep as it was out in the cricket field.”
Hugh Jackman remembered Shane Warne as a “great friend [and] a great teammate”.
“He loved his fans, he loved the game of cricket, he loved his family, he loved life,” said Jackman.
There were also a number of recorded musical tributes played during the memorial. Elton John dedicated his song “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” to Warnie’s family.
Elton John at Shane Warne’s memorial, Melbourne Cricket Ground, 30 March 2022. pic.twitter.com/e65bCQopAH
— Dr Andrea Jean Baker (@andreajeanbaker) March 30, 2022
Coldplay’s Chris Martin played the band’s iconic song “Yellow”. But he changed the final lyrics to: “It’s true. We’re going to miss you”.
Chris Martin playing Yellow on a Martin guitar in the middle of the Costa Rican jungle for Shane Warne’s memorial. Sometimes music can be far more powerful than words. Cheers for the memories Warnie! https://t.co/lTjdt5okKX
— Liam Woodcock (@LBWoodcock) March 30, 2022
Robbie Williams and Ed Sheeran also recorded tributes. Williams performed “Angels” and Sheeran sang “Thinking Out Loud”.
Cricketing legends Nasser Hussein, Brian Lara, Merv Hughes, Mark Taylor and Allan Border also sat on a panel.
“We love you and we’ll miss you,” said Hussein.
Among the emotional tributes, Warnie’s kids Brooke, Jackons and Summer’s were some of the most powerful.
“I could go on forever about what we’re going to miss out on, but nothing would be more upsetting about how much I already miss you, Dad,” said Brooke.
“I feel like you’re on holiday, because you were always working out of Australia, but I know that’s not the case.
“But what makes me the saddest is, I will never get to wrap my arms around you and give you the biggest hug and rest my chin on your chest.”
I don’t know how any of the 50,000 people in the audience at the MCG didn’t sob at Brooke’s speech.
“Dad was our shining star in life and now he’s shining down on all of us,” she continued.
“We will do you so proud, Dad and we are so proud of everything you have achieved. We’re going to do what you always told us – try our best and we will try our best to live in a world without you.”
At the end of the service, the MCG’s newly renamed S.K. Warne stand was revealed in a beautifully fitting final memorial.
