Above all else, David Warner believes Shane Watson should be remembered as the perfect role model for Australia's future generations.
Watson's impact on Australian cricket will extend far beyond his 59 Tests, according to the explosive opener who paid tribute to his mate on Monday.
Watson's was a career in hyperbole.
For his decade-long stint in Test cricket he was either Australia's saviour or the man holding them back - and very little in between.
Allegedly considered "a cancer on the team" by captain Michael Clarke, but revered as the ultimate team man by most others.
Only with Watson could the lows of Homeworkgate and the highs of captaining his country in Test cricket be separated by just a week.
A two-time Allan Border medal winner who spawned a thousand memes about his front pad, love of the Decision Review System and his dreaded injury woes.
Even on Sunday, as an emotional Watson informed his teammates he didn't have the will to play on, social media lit up with jokes rather than tributes.
"Shane Watson retires ... but will he review the decision?"
The blonde hair, broad chest and chiselled features gave the impression Watson was indestructible - even arrogant.
As is often the case, it was wide of the mark for a sensitive soul whose body was so often the root of his problems.
Watson would train too hard and his body would resist - and then break.
But the popular perception was a difficult one to shake for Watson, who in turn faced more furious public vitriol than any other in Australian cricket.
The 34-year-old insists he stopped worrying about trying to change the minds of the general public a few years into his career, when he realised it was impossible.
To that, he believes he didn't come under any more serious public scrutiny than his teammates.
"I certainly don't think I got marked harder than anyone else," Watson said.
"It's more ... not being as consistent as I was when I was opening, especially.
"I wasn't performing like how I know I could have and in the end things got written about me accordingly."
It's a point Warner is happy to challenge.
Warner admits the playing group was upset to follow the constant criticism of Watson on the field.
"Sometimes it is quite sad as a teammate to hear the scrutiny that goes on," he said.
Warner knows acutely the other side of the burly allrounder, who would always lend his ear to a teammate in need.
"If people deep down know Shane behind closed doors, and not just what you see on the field, you know he's got a heart of gold and you know he'll do anything to help you," Warner said.
"Whether it's about cricket or family related, he's a guy you can always count on.
"He's always been there for me in the tough times and I've appreciated it, but any kid that looks up to somebody should look up to Shane Watson."
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