A young child who left his bat out in memory of the late Phil Hughes has been left heartbroken after it was stolen.
Remarkably, Charlie Farrington, 9, has not called for the thief to turn himself in or return the stolen item, he simply wants them to have some respect.
He left the tribute outside his Sydney house in an act of remembrance after the tragic death of Phil Hughes last week.
But one morning when the cricket fan woke up, his nod to the Australian hero's memory was nowhere to be seen.
Charlie has dealt with the incident with a maturity beyond his young years.
"I just wanted to pay my respects to the cricketer who died." he told 7 News.
The #putoutyourbats campaign saw people from all over the world leaving cricket bats out in memory of Hughes, who died after being hit by a ball. The player's passing sent ripples through the sporting world, and his funeral saw an incredibly moving eulogy from captain Michael Clarke, who referred to him as "my little brother".