Some of the AFL's biggest names have paid their respects to Cam McCarthy as the 29-year-old's devastated father made some emotional revelations during a touching funeral on Wednesday.
The Fremantle Dockers and GWS Giants star was laid to rest at Fremantle Cemetery in front of more than 100 mourners after his tragic death on May 8, with his close mate and West Coast star Tom Barrass acting as one of the pallbearers, who wore tops with the initials 'CM' displayed on them.
Other footy stars past and present attending the ceremony included Dockers skipper Alex Pearce, his teammates Luke Ryan, Sean Darcy and Michael Walters, as well as former Fremantle star Aaron Sandilands and Western Bulldogs cult hero Danny Southern.
Footy stars including McCarthy's great mate Tom Barrass acted as pallbearers as around 100 mourners paid their respects in Fremantle on Wednesday
Cam McCarthy (pictured playing for the Dockers in 2018) was remembered as 'the light in any room' he walked into
The pallbearers (pictured) wore tops with Cam McCarthy's initials embroidered on them
Fremantle Dockers star Sean Darcy (second from left) - who played alongside McCarthy - was among the mourners
Attendees (pictured) heard touching eulogies from the late star's father Graham and sisters Hannah and Jessica
McCarthy's father Graham delivered a stirring eulogy in which he recalled the moment the family learned of Cam's death as they holidayed in Coral Bay, more than 1000km north of Perth.
'We got the phone call about 5.30pm that night [May 8] and had had a couple of ales that afternoon,' he said, according to The West.
'We couldn't believe it. His mum and I were just in shock.
'The next day, the 14-hour drive towing the caravan just gave us time to think.
'We talked, cried, cried a bit more.
'We got home to our beautiful daughters ... it was good to wrap our arms around our daughters and get through what happened.
'We loved him to death, he left a mark on everything he did.'
A mourner at the service in McCarthy's home town of Fremantle wipes away a tear
Funeral attendees are pictured outside the venue for McCarthy's farewell
Pictured: Mourners outside the service in Fremantle on Wednesday morning, local time
Mr McCarthy went on to thank the AFL teams that paid respect to his son on the field in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.
'I'd like to acknowledge GWS, the Dockers, Essendon and Sydney for the games that were played in the weekend of the passing of Cam,' he told mourners.
'To the Eagles players that also wore their armbands with the support staff and the rest of the players around the country ... [I] watched a lot of football that weekend and it was pretty touching.'
McCarthy's sister Hannah reminded the crowd what made her brother so great to be around.
'Our one-of-a-kind, charismatic and larger-than-life brother, every room Cam walked into he graced with his infectious smile and bubbly personality, and I have no doubt everyone here can vouch for that,' she said.
'Cam, [sister] Jess and myself were the best of friends and, lucky enough, we did everything together late in life.
McCarthy's death rocked the footy world to its core (pictured, mourners comfort each other at the service)
'In Cam's spare time he loved hanging around us and his best mates for an ice-cold beer and as he would describe it, having fat chats.
'He was an athlete, a singer, a dancer, sometimes a rapper ... but most of all he was the light in any room and the world is a whole lot darker and our hearts a whole lot more heavy without him.'
McCarthy's dad also singled out Barrass, who paid a heartbreaking tribute to his great mateshortly after his death.
The two footy stars met at training for the Western Australian under-18s side.
'They just formed this bond that is still going strong to this day,' McCarthy said.
'We're forever grateful, mate. He loved you to death.'
The Freo star's father Graham singled out his son's great mate, West Coast Eagles star Tom Barrass (pictured left with McCarthy) for a special mention during his eulogy
McCarthy was drafted by the Giants with pick No.14 in 2013 and managed one game in his debut season.
He played a total of 49 games for the Fremantle Dockers and 21 games for GWS, having been drafted from South Fremantle.
Headlines followed when he left the Giants at the end of the 2015 season, choosing to sit out the last year of his contract before being traded to Fremantle.
McCarthy was granted indefinite leave by the Giants in January 2016 so he could be closer to family.
The Fremantle-born star would go on to play another 49 games over four seasons with the Dockers, kicking 63 goals along the way.
