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The Late Australian Test Family a cricketer Philip Hughes has released an emotional statement to mark the 10th anniversary of their son and brother’s death.
Hughes was batting for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield competition in November 2014 when he was hit on the neck and taken to hospital where he died two days later.
Scroll down to read the statement in full
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In a lengthy statement released by Cricket Australia on Wednesday, Hughes’ parents Greg and Virginia, siblings Jason and Megan and their respective families said they hoped his memory would continue to inspire young cricketers.
“Philip was a loving, humorous and infectious person to be around,” the family said.
“He always strived to make those around him smile and enjoy the little things in life where his beautiful smile would come to life.”
“He shone brightly even in difficult times, which is a testament to who he was as a person and we loved everything about him.
“He was the light of our lives. Philip had a deep love for his family and lived his life with respect for everyone around him.
The family had hoped to tell the story of Hughes’ journey in a documentary film, The Macksville Boy – premiering on Channel 7 and 7 plus right after Day 1 of the Adelaide Test in December — will further honor his life.
“We would like to thank (everyone) for supporting this endeavor and every person who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to create a celebration of Philip’s life,” they added.
“We hope we’ve been able to show that dreams really do come true and you’ll enjoy seeing his family, friends and teammates give a better insight into his career from baggy blue, baggy red, baggy green and many more moments in between them, including never-before-seen footage that can be viewed by generations to come.”
The documentary follows an official biography released in November 2015.
“We hope that between the biography and the documentary, young cricketers around the world and everyone who has been with Philip along the way will see the hardworking, dedicated, dedicated and rare cricketer that he was,” the family said.
“His extraordinary talent is known to many, but his lasting impression of who he was as a person will always be remembered, which makes us extremely proud of him.”
“Philip was always proud of the younger generation of cricketers he met along the way and always hoped that they could be an inspiration no matter where you were from and that is our hope too.”
They ended by expressing the hole that still remains in their hearts.
“It is essential for us to express our heartfelt thanks, sincere appreciation and gratitude to our extended family and friends, our home town of Macksville and surrounding towns, the wider cricket community in Australia and overseas and the farming community,” said the family.
“Philip, we love you, miss you and are always proud of you. We think of you every day and are so thankful you were ours. Thank you for being the most extraordinary son and loving brother.”
Full statement from the Hughes family
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the death of our dear son and brother, Philip Joel Hughes.
Philip was a loving, humorous and infectious person. He always sought to make those around him smile and enjoy the little things in life where his beautiful smile would come to life. He shone brightly even in difficult times, which is a testament to who he was as a person and we loved everything about him. He was the light of our lives. Philip had a deep love for his family and lived his life with respect for everyone around him.
Philip, the small-town country boy, became an Australian Test, ODI and T20 cricketer where he played on the toughest pitches in the world alongside the toughest cricketers on the world stage, but he never forgot where he came from and who helps along the way.
He was a unique individual who took risky and adventurous steps to conquer the dreams he set for himself to become a Test bagger green number 408. He played cricket for all the right reasons and had the ability to take everything in his stride. He loved being part of a team and representing Australia for the game he loved so deeply.
The number of stories, laughs shared, phone calls and conversations could not be recounted over a quick drink in the local pub, leading us to the opportunity nine years ago to create Philip’s official biography – ‘Philip Hughes The Official Biography’ – it gave us the pleasure of sharing more about who Philip is. These pages consisted of his journey from his childhood to his final legacy of 63 NOT OUT*.
Ten years on, a documentary ‘The Maxville Boy’ will be shared with Cricket Australia, who we would like to thank for supporting this endeavor and every person who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to create a celebration of Philip’s life . We hope we’ve been able to show that dreams really do come true and you’ll enjoy seeing his family, friends and teammates give a better insight into his career from baggy blue, baggy red, baggy green and many more moments in between , including never-before-seen footage that can be viewed by generations to come.
Hopefully between the biography and the documentary, young cricketers around the world and everyone who has been with Philip along the way will see the hardworking, dedicated, dedicated and rare cricketer that he was. His extraordinary talent is known to many, but his lasting impression of who he was as a person will always be remembered, making us extremely proud of him. Philip was always proud of the younger generation of cricketers he met along the way and always hoped that they could be an inspiration no matter where you are from and that is our hope too.
The cricket gave Philip the springboard to start a new adventure at Four O Eight Angus, named after his proud broad green test cap number. Black Stud Angus raising cattle in our hometown of Macksville where he loved the land and his animals and would tell anyone who would listen. The business is built on dedication and this is a testament to how high it has climbed. He liked to symbolize his cricketing journey in his farming career as a tribute that he is still proud of today. Philip loved Macksville and the local surrounding towns where he was able to return during his cricket years and felt at home.
We want to share our appreciation to everyone who has respected our privacy and wishes over the past decade and continues to do so now. Thank you for being on this journey with Philip, he loved taking everyone with him on this journey living out his childhood dreams.
It is essential for us to express our heartfelt thanks, sincere gratitude and appreciation to our extended family and friends, our home town of Macksville and surrounding towns, the wider cricket community in Australia and overseas and the farming community.
Philip, we love you, miss you and are always proud of you. We think of you every day and are so thankful you were ours. Thank you for being the most extraordinary son and loving brother.
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