How a Channel Nine star found a very touching way to honour legendary footy caller at the Paris Olympics - after his tragic cancer death

Channel Nine star Mat Thompson has delivered a heartbreaking tribute to his footy legend mate and mentor who tragically died of cancer, revealing he has found a unique way to make him live on.

Thompson, the network's chief NRL commentator, is in Paris to call the swimming at his first Olympics as a broadcaster.

Paris would have been legendary sports caller David Morrow's ninth time at the the global sports extravaganza as a commentator.

But after being diagnosed with brain cancer last December, Morrow was steadily succumbing to the disease and in recent weeks Thompson had an idea to get his failing friend to the event one more time.

Unveiled at David Morrow's funeral on Thursday in Sydney after the broadcaster died last week aged 71, Thompson revealed in a video testimonial from Paris that he had asked Morrow if he could borrow his set of binoculars.  

'When this wicked diagnosis struck David in December last year, it upended the Morrow family's life,' Thompson's video eulogy from Paris began.

'But it also denied him the professional farewell his marvelous career deserved. 

'A few weeks back I had an idea to help his legend live on. I asked David if I could take with me his binoculars to the Paris Olympic Games. 

'And I've inherited a pair of binoculars that has zoned in on sporting champions across the world over many decades.

'And it also means David lives on at a ninth Olympic Games.'

Thompson has since posted a photo of David Morrow's binoculars next to his computer in the commentary box above the pool in the Paris Olympic Aquatic Centre.

Morrow's daughters Lucy and Emily have reposted the image on social media with a heart emoji and the words, 'They made it'.

The commentator - nicknamed 'Thirsty' because of his love of a cold glass of Reschs beer - loved the Olympics most of all the sport he called over a 50-year career at the ABC and at 2GB.

He died on July 17, the same day as the Blues won the State of Origin decider, with Thompson posting on X about NSW's win: 'David would have loved that. 

'He'd have talked about it for days. If only we could debrief. Maybe with a Reschs. Hope he was watching upstairs. Rest easy dear friend. #RIP #StateOfOrigin'.

At his Sydney funeral, Thompson's eulogy included an acknowledgement of how Morrow had 'an unshakeable belief' in the younger commentator.

Football stars and media figures gathered at St Brigid's Catholic Church in Coogee, in Sydney's East, to farewell the man behind the microphone.

They included former NRL players Andrew Johns, Laurie Daley and Paul Gallen,  along with Daryl Brohman, Mark Levy, Peter Psaltis and other Nine colleagues.

Mourners heard how Morrow's broadcasting career began in Kempsey on the NSW mid-north coast in 1972, and the first Olympics he covered was the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

Morrow's 2GB colleague Mark Levy announced a Nine radio Olympic studio at Pyrmont would be named in his honour.

The studio will now be known as The David Morrow Olympic Studio.