I didn't know Dylan Tombides but I mourn for him. It's not right or fair that his life should be snatched away before it had really begun, or that his family should have to deal with the gaping hole left by his departure. It's hard to comprehend that he's gone; the challenge for the game is to make sure he's not forgotten.
Every day in Australia, 100 people are told they have cancer. In 2011 Tombides was told he was one of the unlucky ones, and his world was turned upside down. At the time all he was thinking about was passing his driving test. Instead he took a phone call on holiday in Cancun telling him he would have to have a testicle removed.
Coping with cancer is intensely personal, dealing with it as an athlete in a high-profile sport brings a whole new set of challenges. As a West Ham player and a youth international, there was very little chance of Tombides being able to avoid publicity, but it says something about the much-maligned media that, as much as possible, he was largely left alone.
We all thought he would beat it. Testicular cancer has one of the highest survival rates. Craig Moore is a living, breathing, example. Young and fit, and with the best available care, the odds seemed good that we would be able to celebrate Tombides growing from a boy to a man. With any luck, we would also see him flower as a footballer, although - in context - that was a secondary consideration.
No wonder, then, that the football world has been shocked to the core. In January, Tombides was playing for the Olyroos. Now he's gone, taken from us by a disease which doesn't discriminate. If the good die young then Tombides was destined for greatness, and not simply as a footballer. We feel cheated and angry about the injustice of it all. And, of course, there's the heartache and despair.
The tributes have been heartfelt, moving and genuine. Watching his father Jim, and brother Taylor, walk on to the centre circle at Upton Park carrying his shirt moved grown men to a flood of tears. West Ham have retired the no.38 shirt as a permanent memorial. Here in Australia we also need to find a way to make sure he's always remembered.
Let's make testicular cancer the charity of choice for our game. The FFA already bankrolls good causes like street football and 'Football United', but there's room to give more. There has to be now, because we owe it to Dylan. After all, he's one of us.
It wasn't that long ago that you could see the hope, excitement and aspiration in his eyes as he took the world under-17 championships by storm. After scoring the winner against Côte d'Ivoire he removed his shinpad to reveal a message to the world: 'Happy birthday Mum'. A thousand hearts melted away.
And now, just three years after he had the world at his feet in Mexico, and three months after he put the green and gold back on in Oman, he's gone. But we shouldn't let him go. The FFA is about to review its charity work. Well here's a no-brainer. If the survival rate for testicular cancer is 97 percent, let's try to shorten the remaining odds by supporting the cause. For Dylan James Tombides, for the courage and fortitude and humour that he showed, it's the very least we can do.
