When Carlton star Mia Austin’s teammates swamped her and kicked off wild celebrations after her goal against West Coast on Saturday, she broke down in tears as she marked the tragic death of her teenage cousin Ben.
The 17-year-old was killed on October 28 when he was hit in the neck by a ball in a freak accident while warming up for a match in Melbourne, and the Blues rising star had kicked the goal to honour him.
After Carlton’s thumping 60-19 win, Austin explained why what looked like a pumped-up finals celebration was actually one of the most emotional moments of her career.
‘Early last week my little cousin Ben, he passed away, unfortunately, in a cricket incident,’ Austin said after the match.
‘My family is here, my uncle is here, my cousins are here today, to honour im.
‘I know if he were here, he would absolutely love it.
Carlton’s Mia Austin played the club’s finals win over West Coast with a tribute to her cousin Ben on her wrist (pictured) after the teenager died in a shattering cricket accident
The Blues star kissed her cousin’s name after kicking a goal on the stroke of three-quarter time
She was then swamped by her teammates in emotional scenes as her fellow Blues knew what the goal meant to her
‘So it [the celebration] was a little tribute to him.’
Austin had written ‘BEN’ on her wristband before the match and was seen kissing it after she scored the goal right on the siren for three-quarter time.
The significance of the moment wasn’t lost on Channel Seven commentator and AFLW great Abbey Holmes.
‘Your heart breaks with this vision, doesn’t it?’ she told viewers.
‘You can see how much this means to Mia Austin … just the teammates, it gives me goosebumps looking at that vision, just the love and support that has been shown there.’
ABC commentator Alister Nicholson called the act ‘a moment of great poignancy’.
‘It has been such a challenging time for the Austin family following the tragic passing of young Ben in the cricket training accident,’ he added.
Carlton AFL coach Matthew Buck paid tribute to Mia Austin after the win.
Ben Austin (pictured) died after being struck in the neck by a cricket ball in a freak accident as he warmed up for a match on October 28
Mia Austin (pictured) was hailed by her coach and commentators for the classy way she has dealt with her family’s loss
Ben’s father Jace (pictured) broke down as he paid tribute to his son just days after his death and stressed that the incident ‘wasn’t the game’s fault’
‘As a whole playing group, wider club, we’ve got around her as best we can and put in the supports we need,’ Buck said.
‘It’s a credit to Mia. She’s been a real professional throughout and continued to train at a really high level.
‘She took her moment, as well, which I was really proud to see.’
Ben’s father paid a heart-rending tribute to his son after the horrific accident.
‘We got his bat, his gloves, my family … just wanted to be where he last stood,’ a tearful Jace Austin said.
‘I thought I would never get back to there, but Benny would have wanted that because he loved the game.
‘This is a great game, cricket, it wasn’t the game’s fault, that was just a freak accident, a freak accident.
‘Please make sure you keep playing this great game, that’s what he would want.’
The promising young cricketer was struck during training at Wally Tew Reserve in Melbourne’s southeast before being rushed to hospital in a critical condition.
He was placed on life support but died in Monash Children’s Hospital the following day.
The tragedy follows the 2014 death of Test cricketer Phillip Hughes, who was struck in the neck by a ball while batting in a Sheffield Shield game for South Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
