"I PROMISED my wife I'd try not to cry.
"I might not be able to hold that promise tonight, so I'll begin. Daniel Cross and I formed an immediate bond when I walked into the club 12 years ago. We were two young men from different backgrounds but we were drawn to each other through common goals. Initially we wanted to be the best players we could be, and we were driven to succeed in our individual careers.
"It didn't take too long for that common goal to turn into the desire to play in a successful team together. In those early days our drive to play senior football meant that we found ourselves competing against each other for the same spot in the team.
"While this may have driven a wedge between some teammates, this undoubtedly enhanced the bond and mutual respect we had for each other. That individual drive continued for Crossy and his quest for constant improvement has allowed him to play at the highest level in the red, white and blue for 210 games.
"On this journey, he became a legend of our club, and a revered and respected figure in the AFL, winning the Charles Sutton Medal in 2008 and finishing runner-up in 2005, 2009 and 2010, showing his remarkable consistency and standard of performance. But most people in the room already knew that about Daniel. What they don’t get to see and what his family and close friends have the privilege of seeing, is knowing Daniel Cross the person.
"The words that come to mind when I think about Crossy are ones that could just as easily describe his footy attributes. The care and loyalty he displays to his teammates is reflected in his day-to-day life with his family and friends. He is truly selfless, and revels more in the joys and achievements of others than he does in his own individual performance, much like he does at home, as a devoted father and husband. His humility is a lesson for all of us, on how to deal with successes, and even more importantly than that, the disappointments we face in our lives.
"I'm guessing that one of the biggest disappointments that Crossy has had to come to deal with in the last week or so is that we weren't able to achieve the ultimate success as a club in his time here. But what he has been able to do is leave a legacy that will remain for long after he leaves, and that will have helped set the foundations for future success for the Western Bulldogs.
"He has set the standard for our young group, for how to prepare as a professional athlete, for the courage required to play for this team, for the selfless attitude that team sport demands. Daniel Cross has been more than a teammate to all of us. He has been a mentor, a leader and an inspiration.
"This is probably the part I'm struggling with the most. To me he is a lifelong friend. Our wives are the greatest friends. We have shared all our lives, our most precious memories, our weddings, the birth of our children, our losses and our triumphs. Tonight doesn't not mark the end of those milestones - merely a new journey for Daniel and his extended family - an extended family that I am very fortunate to be included in.
"On behalf of the entire playing group I would like to wish Crossy, Sam and Tyler and his entire family all the best for the future, and reinforce that they are, and always will be, Bulldogs for life."
