'I wish I could do more, mate': Heartbreaking final words of Michael Clarke - the man who has done more than anyone could ask after Phillip Hughes' tragic death - as he left his best mate's wake
- Funeral service for Phillip Hughes was held at Macksville High School at 2pm, with thousands in attendance
- Michael Clarke was a pall bearer and read an emotional tribute during the service on the NSW mid-north coast
- Hughes died on Thursday, two days after he was hit by a bouncer during a match at Sydney Cricket Ground
As one of the most difficult days of his
life came to an end, Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke says he
wishes he could have done more for fallen batsman Phillip Hughes and his
devastated family.
'I wish I could do
more, mate. I wish I could do more,' the skipper uttered to a
well-wisher as he left his close friend's wake, who he described earlier
on Wednesday as his 'little brother' during a tribute he delivered in
front of thousands at Hughes' funeral service.
Clarke
was responding to a handshake and thanks he got from the fan as he
exited Macksville RSL club, where family and friends had gathered to
farewell their 'favourite son'.
But it
is impossible to even imagine that Clarke could do more after he was one
of eight pall bearers at Hughes' funeral service and one of the first
people to visit the batsman when he was fatally struck by a cricket ball
in the neck last Tuesday at Sydney Cricket Ground.
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Within
minutes of Hughes' arrival at St Vincent's Hospital - in Sydney's
inner-city suburb of Darlinghurst - Clarke was by the tragic cricketer's
bedside.
He was also a comfort to
Hughes' family as they maintained a near-constant vigil at the hospital
in the days leading up to his death. Clarke was the one to read a
heartbreaking statement on the family's behalf after Hughes passed away
last Thursday.
But it seems the past
week's events were catching up to Clarke as he looked exhausted after
one of the most emotionally draining days of his life.
He
was still at Hughes' wake at 9pm along with other Australian players
Mitchell Starc, Aaron Finch and Nathan Lyons, but they all left shortly
after this.
Hughes' father, Greg, remained at the club
talking and hugging people offering their condolences. Philip's sister
Megan and brother Jason also stayed on.
The wake followed a touching final journey for Hughes' casket.
Thousands of mourners walked through the streets of the cricketer's hometown of Macksville in solemn silence behind his hearse.
Sporting
stars, local residents and friends cried and consoled each other as
they followed Hughes' family out of Macksville High School's hall where
his funeral was held.
Clarke was pall bearer, alongside
Hughes' father Gregory and brother Jason, who carried the casket out of
the hall at the conclusion of the service.
During
the ceremony, Clarke delivered an emotionally charged tribute for
Hughes, sobbing as he said goodbye to his 'little brother'.
The
Australian skipper cried as he spoke about the moment he walked to the
centre of Sydney Cricket Ground just hours after learning of Hughes'
death on Thursday.
'I knelt down at the
wicket and touched the grass. I swear he was still with me. I could see
him swagger back to the other end and grin at the bowler,' Clarke said.
'His spirit has touched the SCG and it will forever be a sacred ground for me.'
Clarke added he was struggling to come to terms with the fact Hughes was gone.
'I know it's crazy but I expect any minute to take a call from him or see his face pop around the corner,' he said.
'Is this was what we call the spirit? If so, I think his spirit is with me, and I hope he never leaves.'
At
the end of his tribute, Clarke addressed his fallen teammate directly,
as he told of how the support from the international cricketing
community was helping him come to terms with his grief.
'This is what makes our game the best in the world,' he said.
'We
must dig in and get through to tea and we must play on. So rest in
peace my little brother, I'll see you out in the middle.'
Following the funeral, crowds followed Hughes' hearse from the hall to the site of the official wake at the Macksville RSL.
While
he carried Hughes' casket out, Clarke kept his head bowed on the short
walk to the waiting hearse, and at times rubbed his face and eyes.
Hughes' family cried as they followed his casket out of the church, holding each other for support.
Children,
babies in prams, elderly people in wheelchairs, residents, cricketers
and the prime minister all walked together, many in tears.
A variety of tributes lined the route as the funeral cortege snaked its way through the streets of the 2,600-strong town.
A
stream of famous cricketing faces from the past and present filed by
with the likes of Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist, Brian Lara and Sir
Richard Hadlee walking along with the likes of rugby league great Greg
Inglis and boxer Anthony Mundine.
These people, along with the Australian cricket squad, joined the procession.
But
the superstars all walked in silence, as they were left to their own
thoughts and memories of the young cricketer they knew, who died
tragically on Thursday.
Some who walked behind Hughes' hearse - including Clarke - attended the wake.
Phillip's father, Greg, stood outside the RSL Club hugging and embracing people he knew before going back inside.
A sign outside the club simply said: 'Phillip Our Mate.'
The pubs in town were packed with people, having a drink and meeting with friends to remember their friend.
The town was almost entirely closed down, with most Macksville businesses shut up as their owners attended or watch the funeral.
Notes were left in shop fronts beside tributes to Hughes, explaining their absence.
As the Catholic service began and the
priest walked down the aisle, the song Forever Young by Sydney band
Youth Group played and mourners stood in silence.
Hughes'
brother Jason read out a eulogy in the form of a letter that was
addressed to the fallen cricketer, saying it was the best way he could
express how he was feeling.
'I couldn't have asked for a better little brother. From a young age you were always destined to be our rock star,' he said.
'All I ever wanted was for you was to look up to me as your big brother.'
Hughes' sister Megan fought back tears as she read out a eulogy for her older brother.
'Your smile, the twinkle in your eye, your witty charm and the humour you provided will never fade,' she said.
'I
am so proud along with Mum, Dad and Jason with what you have
accomplished within the short period of time you were here with us.
'I will always admire that you never
changed or became someone different while your life and career was
progressing before your eyes.'
A video
tribute featuring footage of Hughes on the pitch was then played for
the mourners, edited together with snippets of the cricketer speaking in
interviews.
Before the service
starter, Hughes' family - including mother Virginia, father Greg, sister
Megan and brother Jason - arrived at the packed hall just before 2pm.
Virginia
wore a silver and black shirt, Greg and Jason wore a white rose in
their lapels, and Megan wore a white jacket over black pants - to team
with the service's white and bright theme.
With their arms gripping each other
tightly, they slowly walked into the service. The mourners rose as they
entered the room and Virginia could be heard crying, as the family did
their best to comfort her.
Hughes'
grandmother and aunt arrived wearing white and maroon respectively,
telling Daily Mail Australia the theme was 'white and bright' to
incorporate Hughes' favourite colour, white, and a slightly happier tone
for the day.
Sean Abbott, who was
bowling to Phillip Hughes at the time of his death, arrived just after
1.30pm looking grief-stricken. His girlfriend walking beside him with
her arm around his shoulders.
The prime minister arrived at 1.50pm, signed the condolences book and entered the service with the priest.
Radio
commentator Alan Jones and cricketers Brett Lee, Mark Waugh, Shane
Watson and his wife Lee Furlong arrived together at 1.20pm.
Michael
Clarke and his wife Kyly arrived at 1.10pm with their arms around each
other, accompanied by a person carrying two cricket bats and a baggy
green cap - an item which is awarded to Australian Test cricket
players.
Four of Phillip Hughes' young
cousins from Macksville went to greet Australian cricket captain
Michael Clarke, who smiled and spoke animatedly with them.
They - along with other junior
cricketers - were dressed in their sky blue Macksville cricket shirts
with 408 printed on the back and 'PH 63 not out' embroidered underneath
the club crest. 408 was Hughes' baggy green number.
When the children left, Clarke was seen wiping tears from his eyes.
Australian cricketer Mitchell Starc and his partner, cricketer Alyssa Healy, arrived at the service at 1pm.
Cricket
players Ryan Harris, Aaron Finch, Mitchell Johnson, Steve Smith, Nathan
Lyon, David Warner, Greg Blewett were amongst a group of Australian
cricketers that arrived to the funeral on a bus, wearing Cricket
Australia suits and ties. Many were accompanied by their partners and
arrived in silence.
Cricketers Moises
Henriques, Mark Taylor, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne,
Brian Lara and Matthew Hayden were also in attendance.
Former
Australian cricketer and good friend of Hughes, Daniel Smith, arrived
to say farewell. Smith was one of the first to visit Phillip Hughes at
St Vincent's Hospital, arriving just hours after his accident on
November 25.
Cricket legend Merv Hughes
assisted mourners as they entered the service. Boxer and good friend of
Hughes, Anthony Mundine took his seat at 12.50pm.
Phillip
Hughes' uncle Attilio and aunt Cheryl arrived in a blue car with his
92-year-old maternal grandmother, known fondly by the family as 'Mama'.
Phillip's grandmother, who lives in
Macksville around the corner from the Hughes' childhood home, was
greeted by loved ones. She was escorted into the funeral in a wheelchair
by a large group of family members.
Just
after midday, the casket of Phillip Hughes arrived in Hughes' hometown
ahead of an emotional funeral service held on Wednesday afternoon.
At
his mother Virginia's request, Hughes has been placed in a dark, wooden
casket with a gold plaque. The casket is topped with white flowers -
the cricketer's favourite colour.
Shortly
before 12pm the hearse travelled over the bridge into Macksville,
crossing the Nambucca River. The car travelled through the town's
streets, circling Hughes' hometown, before arriving at Macksville High
School at 12.20pm.
Already the street was lined with mourners, who started arriving more than three hours before the service's scheduled 2pm start.
The
hearse arrived outside the local high school and the casket was carried
by six pall bearers to be put in place in the recreation hall where the
service will take place. Simple white flower decorations stood at
either side of the casket.
People began to enter the hall where large photos of Hughes adorn the walls.
Just
before midday, Australian cricket players arrived at Coffs Harbour
airport on the New South Wales mid-north coast ahead of the service.
Australian
Test coach Darren Lehmann and players including Steve Smith, Shane
Watson, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Lyon and Peter Siddle touched down on
the same plane all dressed in black suits.
Former
players, including Mike Hussey and Michael Slater, arrived at Coffs
Harbour on an earlier flight, in order to drive 45km south to
Macksville.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, Michael
Clarke was seen arriving at the Macksville Recreation Centre with
funeral organiser and former Cricket Australia official Michael Brown.
The night before the funeral, Clarke shared an Instagram photo of himself with his arms around Hughes.
'Tomorrow is going to be a tough day!' he wrote.
This
came after touching childhood photographs of Phillip Hughes were shared
in the order of service for his funeral, released ahead of the
emotional ceremony on Wednesday.
Along
with Clarke, Greg and Jason Hughes, the five other pall bearers on the
day of the ceremony were Corey Ireland, Mitchell Lonergan, Matthew
Day, Aaron Finch and Tom Cooper - who was Hughes' batting partner at the
time of last Tuesday's tragedy that claimed his life.
A rendition of Don't Let the Sun Go
Down on Me was played at the end of the service as Hughes' casket was
carried out of the hall.
It is the same song Elton John dedicated to Hughes at his concert in Germany.
The South Australian batsman died two days after he was hit in the neck by a bouncer during day one of the Sheffield Shield.
Performing
in Munich, Germany at Olympiahalle Arena last Thursday night, cricket
fan John told his large crowd of fans: 'I am a big huge sports fan and I
love cricket which you don't know anything about over here.'
Before playing the 1974 hit, he added: 'This is for you Phil, wherever you are.'
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