Matt Shirvington and Matthew Le Nevez were among the A-listers to pay tribute to sporting icon Graham McNeice at his funeral on Thursday.
The Australian sport and racing icon, who died on September 12 aged 76 following a short illness, was farewelled in a heartfelt ceremony at Kensington’s Our Lady of The Rosary Catholic Church in Sydney.
Sunrise co-host Shirvington, Offspring actor Le Nevez and Nine newsreader Peter Overton were among the celebrities who spoke at the emotional memorial.
The trio, who were all mentored by McNeice during their careers, all shared some heartfelt words in memory of the former Ten News sports anchor.
Jessica Rowe, Alan Jones, Darren Beadman, Tim Webster and Andrew Ettingshausen were also in attendance at the service to pay their respects.
Shirvington, 45, recalled how he first met McNeice when he was 17 and training as a marathon runner, and revealed how he offered to manage his budding career.
‘He taught me to be grateful, remember people’s names and always be kind,’ Matt said, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Meanwhile, Le Nevez said he met McNeice at just 11 years old when he auditioned for a role in a sports movie and praised the ‘selfless’ presenter.
Matt Shirvington and Matthew Le Nevez were among the A-listers to pay tribute to sporting icon Graham McNeice at his funeral on Thursday (Matt and McNeice are pictured in 2015)
The Australian sport and racing icon, who died on September 12 aged 76 folllowing a short illness, was farewelled in a heartfelt church ceremony in Sydney
‘There’s no way I could possibly list all the things he has done for me. Selfless, generous, always ready to help,’ he shared.
Nine News Sydney presenter Peter Overton added that he knew McNeice for four decades, gushing: ‘His care for us all, no matter your role, was legendary.’
The heartfelt ceremony was full of laughter and tears as McNeice’s A-List friends gathered to share sweet stories about what he meant to them.
Throughout his celebrated 60-year career, McNiece worked as a race commentator, presenter and documentary film producer.
He began his career at 17 in 1965, where he worked with legendary greyhound race caller Frank Kennedy at the regional NSW radio station 2KA.
Speaking at the memorial, Le Nevez (pictured) said he met McNeice at just 11 years old when he auditioned for a role in a sports movie and praised the ‘selfless’ presenter
Graham stayed with the station for over a decade and later moved to Channel Ten after being offered a role as a sports presenter.
In 1984, he covered the Los Angeles Olympics for the network and in the early 2000s he became a documentary producer, helming several critically acclaimed productions.
He joined Foxtel in 2005 and created the investigative TV series CIA: Crime Investigation Australia, which provided a hard-hitting look at shocking true crimes across the nation.
