IT was 25 years after his last Test match when the former Australian cricket star Gary "Gus" Gilmour was asked about the dazzling, brand-new-looking baggy green cap sitting atop his mantlepiece.
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"This one's not like Steve Waugh's," Gilmour said, comparing it to the shredded piece of mangy material the then Test captain continued to wear.
"Look, it's brand new inside. Never wore it once. Couldn't stand the thing. It was bloody uncomfortable."
And there, in a nutshell, is the Gus Gilmour picture - understated and humble with a sense of humour and sharp wit that got through the defence of many more men than his famous inswinger ever did.
Gilmour would later tell the story of when he met Sir Donald Bradman, who said "If I was a selector you'd never play for Australia. You eat too many potatoes."
Gilmour, Newcastle's greatest all-rounder and arguably its greatest cricketer, succumbed to ongoing health issues yesterday. He was 62. He leaves behind a grieving family less than three months after they were farewelled one of his four children, Clint, who was lost to brain cancer.
He also leaves behind an adoring public who fell in love with the brash left-handed batsman who was immortalised in the World Series Cricket jingle C'mon Aussie C'mon with the line "And Gilmour wielding the willow like an axe".
The Waratah-Mayfield junior and Newcastle Boys High student shot to prominence very early, being picked from second grade to represent Newcastle as a fresh-faced teenager.
Long-time Newcastle District Cricket Association secretary Denis Broad yesterday recalled: "I remember Merv Baker, the chairman of selectors, and Max Fox saw him play in second grade when he was only 14 or 15 and they picked him.
"That was the ability he showed at that age, just working his way up as a schoolboy. It was amazing to see a bloke get picked from second grade for a senior rep team and they had a good team in those days.
"It caused quite a stir around town. A lot of people got upset when they missed out. That's always stuck in my mind, but he obviously kicked on."
By 18, he had already played against the West Indies during a match at Newcastle. Whatever the selectors saw, they saw it early.
And so did Gilmour, who went on make 122 on debut for NSW in 1972, aged just 20.
He would go on to play 75 first-class games between 1972 and 1980 with a batting average of 30.82 and a bowling average of 31.52. He made his Test debut against New Zealand in the last week of 1973, scoring 52 runs and taking 4-75. His 15-Test career boasted 483 runs at 23, including one century, and he took 54 wickets at an average of 26.03.
Gilmour would later tell the story of when he met Sir Donald Bradman, who said "If I was a selector you'd never play for Australia. You eat too many potatoes."
What couldn't be measured was the size of Gilmour's heart, including the painful summer of 1976-77, where he continued on despite a bone the size of a five-cent piece floating around in his heel. Unfortunately, selectors were not aware of the injury and thought he was struggling with form, dropping him after the Centenary Test in Melbourne in 1977.
He never played another Test.
Within months, Gilmour joined a host of other stars in signing over to Kerry Packer's rebel World Series Cricket. When asked about Packer's generosity and if it matched his ferocity, he recalled: "It was a freezing night at VFL Park in Melbourne and they had just introduced the stump microphone. Rainy, miserable night it was. Ray Bright was our 12th man and I spent several overs trying to get his attention. In the end I yelled into the stump mic, 'Hey Brighty, where's me f---ing jumper?' I thought they'd cut it out, but apparently it went to air.
"Packer wasn't impressed. Got hauled over the coals for that one!"
Another one through to the keeper.
By the time a truce was signed in 1979 and most of the rebels were welcomed back, Gilmour wasn't.
He was to play only two more Sheffield Shield games for NSW before his first-class career was over, at just 27. He continued to play for Belmont in the Newcastle district competition before giving it away.
His health began failing him in the early 2000s, and he was eventually put on the organ donor list for a new liver.
Some made the misguided assumption the drinking culture of Australian cricket may have contributed to his health worries but, truth be told, part of the problem was a congenital narrowing of the main artery to the liver. Add to that the suspicion that the painkillers Gilmour took while battling injuries had affected his liver's function.
But despite his struggles, his common sense remained.
Legendary fast bowler Dennis Lillee once told a benefit night that Gilmour remained in high spirits.
"When I've called him over the last 12 months or so, he's never once complained," Lillee said.
"He's always got a joke.
"Just the other day he told me Dougie Walters had phoned.
"I thought 'That's good' and he said 'Yeah, he offered me his liver. I said 'No thanks, I'll take my chances'."
Gilmour took his chances just before Christmas 2005, receiving a new liver and with it a new lease and fresh outlook on life. He became a staunch supporter of educating the public about organ donation.
Gilmour continued to support Newcastle cricket, playing several roles within the senior representative squad and was very supportive of his sons, who all played. He watched on in March when his youngest, Sam, was named player of the first-grade final after taking six wickets for Merewether. It was less than two weeks after they had lost Clint to brain cancer.
Gilmour's health continued to deteriorate and complications had escalated after a recent fall. He died in the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
He is survived by his wife Helen, daughter Brooke Drelincourt and sons Ben and Sam.
