A decade has gone by since Phillip Hughes passed away, and yet, out on the cricket fields, in the sheds, in the stands and at his hometown pub, his legacy burns brighter than ever.
But while there’s hope that Phillip’s death on November 27, 2014, brought safety changes to the sport, there’s also still pain.
Former Australian captain, Michael Clarke, said the moments he helped Phillip’s parents Virginia and Greg in those final days have never left him.
“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” Michael told The Daily Telegraph.
“People say it gets easier. As you get older you might find ways to adjust, but I don’t think it does get easier. It’s still devastating.”
Phillip died at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney after suffering injuries from a freak ball accident at the Sydney Cricket Ground two days earlier. A bouncer had struck Phillip on the neck causing a fatal haemorrhage.
He was just three days away from his 26th birthday.
Michael said he couldn’t believe the 10-year anniversary was approaching.
“It took me a long time, but I’ve really tried to celebrate the times I’ve had with him rather than mourn his loss,” he said.
“This year will be no different.”
The spirit of Phillip’s legacy also lives on his hometown of Macksville on the NSW Mid North Coast.
The 3000-strong town still boasts beautiful murals of his career, a new road bridge and a junior cricket oval that are all named in his honour.
“When they started talking about the murals I said I wanted Phil on there,” local newsagent Joe Welsh told The Daily Telegraph, referring to the Wallace Lane tribute.
“We’d always be at the pub rustling up donations to get him to where he got to. There’d be raffles and things like that, we used to all put in.”
Publican Tim Smith added: “It was something we did to anchor Phil’s memory to the community.”
In a previous interview with New Idea, his parents Virginia and Greg said Phillip had inspired a new generation of local cricketers.
“I’ve had a lot of people say it has brought life into the town,” Virginia said in the 2009 chat.
Talking about Phillip’s skills, Greg added: “He’d practise every day, wet or dry … Some parents have to push their kids, but we never had to push Phillip.
“Because we live in the country, we drove thousands of kilometres to matches every year, but he’d always be ready the night before, his bag waiting at the door.”
Now, his junior cricket club Macksville Bulls wear a jersey emblazoned with 408 and a badge of a bull, as a testament to Phillip’s Test number and his family’s stud business.
