I'll wear the BAGGY GREEN like Dad

THE LATE BATSMAN'S BOY IS FOLLOWING IN HIS FOOTSTEPS

- Phillip Koch

Dean Jones' namesake son, Koby Dean Hamilton-Jones, may not have been at the late cricketer's funeral, but he's certainly inherited the legendary batsman's ability on the pitch.

With his heart set on playing cricket for Australia one day, Koby declares with a big grin, "I'll be a better bowler than Dad!"

Though the 14-year-old does admit "there's a bit to go" in the batting department before he can emulate Dean's incredible cricketing feats. This includes notching up 3631 runs in 52 Tests between 1984 and 1992.

For the first time ever, Koby is opening up publicly about the love he shared with his dad, and the pain and grief he endured when 'Deano' died suddenly in Mumbai on September 24, 2020, from a stroke. He was aged just 59.

"I think he would love the idea of me playing cricket," Koby tells New Idea in an exclusive interview.

"I miss his funny sense of humour. I miss how much he loved me. I miss how much he cared for me and my mother. I miss how sporty he was. I love how he got into everything I did. I just miss all of him."

Koby's mum Kerri-Anne Hamilton met Dean at a celebrity golf day in Sydney in 1998 when she was 24 and he was 36. Dean had recently retired from Test and One Day International cricket, and soon they were hopelessly in love.

Three months later, Kerri-Anne found out Dean was still married to his wife, Jane, and was raising two daughters with her in Melbourne. They broke up, but eventually resumed their relationship.

They briefly split up again when Kerri-Anne fell pregnant with Koby, who didn't meet his dad until he was two years old.

"I remember it like it was yesterday because it was so emotional," Kerri-Anne tells us. "Dean sent me a message saying 'this is silly I need to meet my son and I want to meet my son.'