Grief-stricken widow farewells tsunami victim footballer

MELBOURNE - A bare month after her wedding day, the grief-stricken widow of AFL footballer Troy Broadbridge cut a lonely figure as she followed his coffin from a Melbourne church today.

A large crowd of teammates, friends, relatives and fans gathered outside in silence as Trisha Broadbridge bravely farewelled her husband at a requiem mass for the young footballer in suburban Gardenvale this morning.

Broadbridge, a 24-year-old Melbourne Demons defender, was on his honeymoon, strolling with Trisha along a beach on Thailand's Phi Phi island, when he was swept to his death by the Boxing Day Indian Ocean tsunami.

His father, Wayne, found the young footballer's body in an open-air morgue nine days later.

Today Trisha, wearing a modified version of the dress in which she married Broadbridge on December 18, sobbed and walked stiffly as she left the funeral service and trailed the hearse, flanked by grieving relatives.

Inside the hearse, her husband's coffin was draped with yellow roses similar to flower arrangements used in their wedding.

Broadbridge's teammates filed onto North Road to form a guard of honour as the hearse pulled slowly away from St James Catholic Church.

Earlier, Trisha sobbed through a tribute to her late husband.

"Troy, you are my best friend, I promise I'm going to love you no matter what happens," she said.

"I will always stand by you like you have stood by me.

"I love you so much because of everything you have done for me, for the person that you are, for the heart that you have, for the unconditional love, for your caring nature, for your determination.

"I love you so much Troy and I promise I'm going to show you that for the rest of our lives."

Broadbridge's requiem mass was attended by a host of AFL identities, including AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou, Demons club stalwarts Ron Barassi and Garry Lyon, club officials and rival officials and players.

Former Demons player Jim Stynes, who introduced Broadbridge to his wife, told the congregation Broadbridge was a caring, generous friend and gifted teammate.

"Some might remember the way he died but I will remember the way he lived, the way he played and, most of all, the way he loved," Stynes said.

Friends and relatives laid mementos on his coffin.

He will be buried with items including his Melbourne Football Club and Sandringham Football Club guernseys, a wedding photograph, a shot of him with his dogs to be published in a forthcoming book and junior athletics medals.

Trisha's sobs could be heard above a video presentation of Troy's life that included images from his wedding and holidays.

But amid the sadness, Broadbridge's laconic commentary on the videos filled the chapel with a touch of laughter.

In one of several musical tributes, former Bachelor Girl singer Tania Doko performed a version of Andrea Bocelli's Time To Say Goodbye.

Broadbridge, 24, played 40 games for the Demons and also played for the Sandringham VFL club after a stint with the Port Adelaide SANFL club.

The Melbourne Football Club will hold a charity 20/20 cricket match against Collingwood on Sunday, January 30 at 11am (AEDT) at St Kilda's Junction Oval. All proceeds will be donated to the tsunami appeal.

- AAP