Sporting organisations, clubs and players joined friends, colleagues and even rival journalists in praise of the father-of-five who died suddenly last Saturday, aged 59.

The chorus reached the Tasmanian Parliament where Bass Labor MHA Michelle O’Byrne described Edwards as both “a respected journalist” and “a genuinely lovely man”.

“At a time when newspapers are struggling to maintain their place in modern society, journalists like Phil Edwards are a very precious commodity,” she said.

“Phil’s love of sport and those who participated from the grass roots to international level was evident in every single article that he wrote.

“Phil gave so many of us a reason to keep buying or reading his paper because he told the stories of so many of our fellow Tasmanians and he told them so very well. He was genuinely interested in each of these people and their stories.”

The sentiments were echoed across the state and the many sports he covered, from football and cricket to basketball, cycling, golf, rowing, netball and athletics.

AFL Tasmania said he was “a great man and footy writer taken far too soon” adding: “Phil covered our game with great skill over many years and will be dearly missed.”

Cricket North said Edwards’ reporting was “fair and comprehensive”. 

It added: “Phil held the respect of the entire Northern cricket community for his dedication and tireless reporting of sport and in particular his keen insight into the game of cricket. He was always ready with pen and camera and often went out of his way to obtain the detail of a story.”

Basketball Tasmania said Edwards “always covered sports with high passion and integrity and was a really nice guy”, Little Athletics Tasmania called him “a great advocate for sport in Tasmania” and Rowing Tasmania added: “Phil was a great supporter of Tasmanian rowing, always eager to report on all facets of our sport.”

Born in Launceston the youngest of eight siblings, Edwards attended Invermay Primary and Brooks High schools followed by Launceston Matriculation College and the Tasmanian College of Advanced Education.

Sport was an integral part of his life from an early age. He played tennis, cricket, badminton, soccer and squash, the latter involving a fierce rivalry with brother Greg who recalled frequently leaving the court with complementary bruises. 

Edwards taught at Exeter and Kings Meadows high schools and Launceston College before a mid-life change of careers.

He joined The Examiner in 2002 and soon found his niche in the sports department, reporting on a wide variety of topics and taking a leading role in coverage of the AFL, State League and NTFA football, NTCA and TCL cricket, the Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals, basketball, athletics and netball.

His methodical and meticulous reporting and ability to listen to and tell stories saw him earn both trust and respect throughout the sporting community.

Edwards was never happier than at State League football, charting the fortunes of Launceston’s teams.

North Launceston president Thane Brady led the tributes as he announced that players would wear black armbands in Saturday’s table-topping clash against Clarence – or “the enemy on the Eastern Shore of Hobart” as he called them.

“Phil Edwards was a terrific sports reporter because not only did he have a reputation for honest and fair reporting, he could build relationships based on trust,” Brady said.

“We all respected Phil as an independent professional. However, all of us at the club saw him as one of our own. He could mix with all stakeholders in good and bad times but always had the positive and caring attitude that was contagious.”

Launceston Footy Club said Edwards’ personality will be greatly missed at Windsor Park, Tasmanian Football Council general manager Jackson Hills called him “a lovely bloke and a great advocate for sport in Tasmania” and the NTFA reflected on his “great articles promoting the great game we all love”.

Launceston Tornadoes said Edwards had been with them through thick and thin “with his great articles helping everyone to get to know us”.

In recent years, Edwards began to pen forthright and hard-hitting columns, but never abused his stature in Tasmanian sporting circles.

O’Byrne said: “Whilst his bread and butter was local sport, Phil’s opinion pieces on state, national and international affairs were well researched and when he had something to say he said it candidly, and consequently, he said it with great impact.”

Brady recalled how Edwards tackled AFL administration head-on, chasing down comments on difficult subject matters.

“He was a proud advocate for sport in the North, always prepared to invest time into providing a voice to clubs wishing to share information important to them.

“His craft as a sports reporter was he could at times write things that were hard for club stakeholders to read, however, it was never personal, always honest and with that smile and friendly greeting it was easy to move onto the next subject.”

Edwards had five children – Jen, Jess, Sam, Sarah (deceased) and Hunter – and two grandchildren – Tahlia and Ruby.

His funeral is at 2pm on Monday at Punchbowl Christian Centre. Friends, colleagues and sporting contacts are welcome to attend.