Essendon assistant coach Mark Harvey tonight paid tribute to champion cricketer and media personality David Hookes, describing him as a man who could relate to everybody. Hookes, 48, died at around 7pm tonight as a result of head injuries sustained in an incident outside a St Kilda Hotel last night. ""It is a tragic loss. I did some radio work with David on 3AW. I didn't have a lot to do with him before that but he was just the sort of bloke you felt like you had known forever the minute you walked into the room,"" Harvey said.

""I'll remember that cheeky grin of his every time he cracked a joke. He just enjoyed the company of other people and he was a hero to so many. Obviously he was a great cricketer but football was his other great sporting love.""