Thoughts and prayers are with his family.
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“Our industry is grieving today”, AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said in a statement.
Others hung their woolly memorabilia from their letter boxes, office windows and off the back of cars, with many combining different club colours as a mark of respect.
Adelaide will hold a press conference Friday afternoon Australia time.
The Adelaide Crows are scheduled to play Geelong in an AFL fixture on Sunday July 5 at their home ground of the Adelaide Oval. The two worked together at Port Adelaide where they helped the Power to the 2004 premiership. Normally after the game you sign a footy and go hand it out to the crowd, but it didn’t feel like we could celebrate a win.
“We know that the usual fun and passion of our game will not be there”, McLachlan said.
Whether you’re black and white, brown or gold or from any other club, we wanted to show our supporters we are one big family.
Superintendent Des Bray told reporters outside the home that there had been an argument.
It was tragic news to wake up to.
It was Phil that put his arm around the Bailey family with support.
“His wife also suffered a wound…”
Paramedics attempted to resuscitate Walsh but he was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
He said the son, who lived at the home, was discovered a short time after police arrived and “arrested for murder and detained for a psychiatric assessment” although no charges have yet been laid. It is also understood that Phil’s son fled the scene and was found in the beach-side suburb of Glenelg.
It was unclear how Meredith Walsh was hurt but she sustained a leg injury, Bray said.
The former winger had played 122 games in the AFL – and its predecessor, the Victorian Football League – from 1983-1990, representing the Collingwood Magpies, Richmond Tigers and Brisbane Bears. In that incident Mr Walsh, who was then an assistant coach at the West Coast Eagles, was hit by a bus. After all most of the Crows’ players first introduction to their new coach had come one year earlier when he was a keynote speaker at Dean Bailey’s memorial service.
“My sons were so close to Phil and he had such an enormous impact on them, as well as all the young men he coached”.
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“People who knew Phil Walsh will be waking up today in just absolute disbelief, just staggered, that has happened”.
