The congregation was encouraged to wear splashes of red and donate to the Mark Hughes Foundation, which is raising money for research into brain cancer.

Morrow, who spent more than four decades working for the ABC and 2GB on radio and television, was told of his induction into the NRL Hall of Fame only days before his death.

He was responsible for one of the most famous rugby league calls in history when Ricky Stuart set up Mal Meninga’s last-gasp try in the second Ashes Test of 1990.

Morrow, “a country boy who moved to the big smoke to realise his dream”, was wheeled inside the church on Thursday to the thunderous tune of AC/DC’s Long Way To The Top, and left to the backing of, in true rugby league style, Tina Turner’s Simply The Best and Oh When The Saints Go Marching In.

How often does a funeral say a prayer for St George to win on grand final day?

Morrow’s recall of rugby league and sporting facts was without peer.

He couldn’t remember what he danced to for his bridal waltz, but knew it was on the same day Kepler Wessels scored a century on Test debut for Australia. As his longtime 2GB colleague Mark Levy recalled, he could rattle off who won the Gundagai under-18s rugby league in 1979 just as easily as Usain Bolt’s Olympic gold medals.

He was comfortable calling Golden Slippers as well as Olympic gold medal sprints. As a teenager, he was the high school bookmaker … to teachers and students alike.

The congregation laughed so much, Father Peter Clifford even quipped: “I’m enjoying this funeral”.

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“He taught me just about everything I know,” Lucy said. “Dad taught us many life lessons, look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves, and most importantly, you don’t need a long neck to be a goose.

“While Dad might be one of the best broadcasters this country will ever see, he was an even better father. Being your daughter is the greatest honour of my life.”

On Thursday, a plaque was being erected outside a Nine Radio studio which will help broadcast events from Paris. The studio will now be known as The David Morrow Olympic Studio.

“I wish he was still around to help with our Olympic coverage over the next two weeks,” Levy said. “As we know, Davey loved the Olympic Games.

“If I know Davey he will have a front-row seat somewhere in that main stadium over in Paris.”

And so will his binoculars, still there taking in one of his favourite sporting events.

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