Please find below a statement from the Weightman family which will appear in tomorrow’s Sunraysia Daily.

THE Weightman family say they have been left with no alternative than to limit Friday’s church service to farewell family patriarch Brian to immediate family only.
The family had planned to farewell the Sunraysia sporting legend as planned at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church before Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday banned all non-essential indoor gatherings of 100 people or more due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Outdoor gatherings of 500 people or more were banned on the weekend as the Federal Government tries to curb the spread of the disease.
Mr Weightman’s daughter Lynne Colbert said the family had been forced to make the call following yesterday’s announcement, but plans were in place to livestream the church service.
She said mourners outside Mr Weightman’s immediate family were encouraged to line 11th Street at the conclusion of the service to pay their respects.
Mrs Colbert said the cortege was expected to depart the church about 2.30pm and travel east along 11th Street and past the Mildura Recreation Reserve oval that was named in his honour in January.
“We know there will be a number of people outside the immediate family who would have liked to attend the service,” Mrs Colbert said.
“However, the current scenario means we have had to make a call on how best to proceed with Brian’s funeral arrangements and inform people at the earliest opportunity,” she said.
“We would have loved to open the service to all of Brian’s many friends and associates, however the current restrictions on mass gatherings will now not allow that.
“Unfortunately, restricting the church service to family only was a decision that was effectively forced upon us under the current circumstances and was made after much consideration.”
Mrs Colbert urged those who wished to pay their respects along 11th Street were to keep a safe distance apart and not gather in large numbers at one site.
“This is not the farewell we planned for Brian, however there may be an opportunity in the future to have a memorial service so that his wider circle of friends, as well as family, can catch up and have a chat about Brian, his life and their memories of him when it is safe to do so,” she said.
Mr Weightman, who had been acknowledged by numerous Sunraysia sporting organisations with life memberships, died overnight Tuesday aged 88.
He is survived by his wife Margaret, daughters Lynne and Nyree, and sons Ross, Dale, Mark and Kent.
To access Mr Weightman’s funeral service livestream go to the What’s On Mildura Facebook page.