Friends, family and members of the footy community have gathered to remember West Coast Eagles great Adam Hunter at a funeral service in South Bunbury on Thursday.
Hunter tragically passed away, aged 43, earlier this month, hours after he had finished a training session for his boyhood club South Bunbury.
His funeral service was held at the club’s Hands Oval, with hundreds gathering to pay their respects to the former West Coast Eagles star, who was hailed as a wonderful individual and a ‘brilliant footballer’.
Multiple former team-mates and Eagles club legends attended the service, with Brownlow medallist Ben Cousins and his premiership coach John Worsfold arriving to pay their respects.
Hunter’s coffin was carried to the oval and was draped in a red and white South Bunbury flag and a blue and yellow West Coast Eagles flag. Daryl Braithwaite’s ‘The Horses’ was played as the coffin was driven onto the oval.
Two jerseys from both clubs with his number 39 printed on the back were laid on the coffin. His fishing rod was also laid on top of the coffin.
Tributes have been paid to former West Coast Eagles star Adam Hunter who tragically passed away earlier this month, age 49
Family members and former team-mates gathered at the South Bunbury Football Club to remember the former Premiership Eagle
A West Coast Eagles flag and a South Bunbury flag were draped over Hunter’s coffin, while his fishing rod was placed on top
Former team-mates Quinten Lynch, Beau Waters, Michael Braun, Andrew Embley and Drew Banfield were also in attendance at the service, while Nic Naitanui, Liam Duggan and Oscar Allan also paid their respects.
Hunter’s mother, Joanne Brown and partner Latisha Yacoub spoke during the service, alongside the defender’s former coach Worsfold and former South Bunbury player and ex-Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett.
Ms Brown remembered her son as a deeply loving and caring individual.
‘It didn’t matter where you were or who was around us, he’d always give me a big hug,’ she said.
‘Every phone call ended with him saying “I love you”.
‘Adam gave Rod and I so many great moments. We also went on a rollercoaster during his life, but he had come out the other side… he gave us so much love and we loved him with all our hearts.’
Ms Yacoub delivered an emotional tribute to her partner who she said was her ‘lover, my best friend, my soulmate and the absolute love of my life.’
She revealed that the pair had started dating 23 years ago, adding: ‘Most people don’t know that.
Hunter’s mother Joanne spoke during the funeral service remembering her son as a deeply loving and caring individual
Hunter’s partner Latisha Yacoub also delivered an emotional speech during the service
‘We’ve had our fair share of ups and downs but no matter what we both knew that there’d never be anybody else.
‘Some people wait a lifetime to experience the love we share.
‘I will miss his constant phone calls during the day, most of which were to make sure I was asleep and then get cross when I answered the phone but he was the reason I was awake.
‘One of the last quotes H said to me was: “One day the right person will walk into your life and make you realise why every ‘no’ was preparing you for the perfect ‘yes'”.
‘H, you will always be my yes.’
She added that the pair had planned to get married soon while also speaking on some of Hunter’s final words to her before his passing.
‘And two hours before he took his last breath, he said to me: “This is our year”,’ she said.
Hunter is a highly revered figure around the West Coast Eagles and South Bunbury footy club.
Brownlow winner and former team-mate Ben Cousins was among those in attendance
Former West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui arrived at the funeral service on Thursday
Current West Coast stars Liam Duggan (left) and Oscar Allen (right) also paid their respects
Former team-mates Ashley Hansen (left) and Beau Waters (right) also attended the funeral
He began playing senior footy for South Bunbury when he was 16 and was drafted to the Eagles in 1999 as pick No 29.
The Bunbury-born defender, who also enjoyed spells playing further up the field as a centre-half, made his AFL debut with the West Coast during the 2000 AFL season against Melbourne.
It was in 2005 that he would cement his role in the Eagles backline, replacing Glen Jakovich, and would help the footy club go on to reach the Grand Final that year, with the club missing out on its first premiership title in 11 years.
Despite that, under the stewardship of Worsfold, the club would break that duck for a title the following season, with Hunter playing a pivotal role in their 2006 premiership-winning season.
Worsfold spoke of the immense pride he had to work with Hunter during his coaching career, adding that he would have loved to have played alongside the defender.
‘If I do shed a tear, it’s a tear of pride for having got the opportunity to work so closely with a great young man,’ he said.
‘I would have loved to have played alongside him. Little did I know a few years later I would be coaching him.
‘All he wanted to do was play footy. All he wanted to do was train and be with his mates. Everything else was secondary.
Hunter enjoyed a decorated playing career with the West Coast Eagles, playing a key part in the side’s 2006 premiership triumph
Eagles premiership-winning coach John Worsfold paid an emotional tribute to Hunter, stating he would have loved to have played alongside the defender
Former Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett reflected on how South Bunbury bosses were enamoured by Hunter’s footy skills during the fledgling years of his playing career
‘He would never want to miss a training session. I tried to talk him into having a light night one night but he refused it because he just wanted to be out training with the boys.’
He added: ‘He didn’t seek accolades. He wanted to do what was right for our team.
‘We were extremely proud of having him as part of our football club. He played a massive part in what this club has achieved over its short history.
‘Everyone loved Hunts, everyone enjoyed being around him.’
Hunter would go on to retire from AFL footy in 2009 after he had sustained a shoulder injury.
During his glittering career, he kicked 86 goals across 151 appearances for the Eagles.
Worsfold revealed that Hunter’s love for the game was so strong that he was desperate to play through his shoulder injury but the club advised him that it was best if he hung up his boots.
‘He didn’t want to retire through injury, even after being told that he was putting the rest of his life at risk with a bad shoulder if he played any more footy. He was prepared to cop that,’ Worsfold said.
Hunter would go on to retire from AFL footy in 2009 after he had sustained a shoulder injury. During his glittering career, he kicked 86 goals across 151 appearances for the Eagles.
Members of the South Bunbury footy club gave the Eagles great a guard of honour as his coffin was driven away from the oval
‘He would’ve lived the rest of his life with one arm if he could’ve squeezed a few more years out at West Coast, but unfortunately we couldn’t allow that.’
Nisbett also reflected on Hunter’s footy journey. Having also played for South Bunbury, the former Eagles executive opened up on how club bosses were left enamoured by Hunter’s ‘remarkable’ footy skills when he was playing for South Bunbury’s junior sides.
‘I got a phone from Peter Upson going back when he was about 14 years of age, he rang me and said: “You’ve got to come and look at this skinny kid who is playing with the juniors at the time for South Bunbury” and he said “he’s just remarkable”,’ Nisbett said.
‘I spoke to our recruiting guys and they’d already seen him play and had him on tab for what they thought was an outstanding career.
‘Being a South Bunbury boy, we struck up a very good relationship very early on. When he was playing for Swan Districts he always said to me: “I still want to play with the Eagles and I still want to play with South (Bunbury) when I finish”. He’s done all those things.’
Nisbett also reflected on Hunter’s time with the Eagles.
‘Hunts was underrated as a player, was one of our most important players in that era,’ he said.
‘He was highly regarded by every player who played with him and every supporter person who was around the place at the time.
‘To see the man who he has become and grown into and to lose him, our memories will live on, we celebrate those memories forever in a day. Goodbye, mate.’
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