Members of Shane Warne's family spoke of their heartache for the first time on Monday following his death, as an autopsy confirmed he had died of natural causes after a heart attack.
Together, they spoke of the ongoing pain and impossible void left to fill, with his daughter Summer telling of her wish for a tighter final hug and the hurt of their time together being robbed.
His parents, Keith and Brigitte, spoke of their "never-ending nightmare" and "a tragedy we will never come to terms with".
Warne's brother Jason recalled days of travelling to the MCG together to watch Test matches, amid a childhood of wrestling and a lifetime of golf and poker battles.
"I remember catching the train into the MCG in 1982, sitting in the front row of the Great Southern Stand with our fingers crossed the great Allan Border and Jeff Thomson would get the runs needed to beat England," he said in a statement.
"Who would have thought he would have such a huge impact at the ground in the years to come and that very stand being renamed in his honour? Amazing life. Amazing guy."
In a moving statement, Summer said: "Our time was robbed. I want more holidays with you, more laughs where your smile lights up the whole room, more 'goodnight I love you SJ, I'll see you in the morning', more talks about how our days were and just to feel safe when you would hug me and you would let me know how proud you are of me and how much you love me.
Brooke Warne said: "Dad, this doesn't feel real and doesn't make sense that you are not here with us anymore. It doesn't feel right, you were taken away too soon and life is so cruel. I will forever cherish our final memories together laughing and joking around with each other."
Warne's son, Jackson, recalled playing poker, golf and watching football. "But I know all you ever wanted for me is to be happy, no matter what," he said. "You just wanted me to be happy, that's it. So that's what I'm going to do, try to be happy."
Former wife Simone said Warne "brought a light so great to the world that even after they have gone the light remains".
Following the conclusion of the autopsy, the final plans will now be made to return Warne's body to Australia which is expected to happen on Tuesday.
The family have accepted the offer of a state funeral but will first have a private ceremony before the public are given their chance to pay their respects to Warne. The MCG remains the most likely location for a state memorial service in the coming weeks.
Warne also has a statue outside the MCG to go with the newly named SK Warne Stand, with flowers, beers, cigarettes and even cans of baked beans placed at his feet this week.
Warne's parents thanked the Victorian government for its offer of a state funeral and for naming a grandstand after their son but said they would never get over his loss.
"The night of the 4th of March 2022 is when a never-ending nightmare began for our family," they said. "For that is the date we lost our much loved and admired son, father, brother and Uncle, "Shane Keith Warne" a tragedy we will never come to terms with.
"To find words to adequately express our sadness is an impossible task for us and looking to a future without Shane is inconceivable. Hopefully the mountain of happy memories we all have will help us cope with our ongoing grief."
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