Former West Coast Eagles coach John Worsfold has paid tribute to friend and Adelaide coach Phil Walsh who was found dead at his Adelaide home on Friday morning.
Walsh, 55, who was assistant coach under Worsfold from 1999 to 2003, was found with multiple stab wounds at his family's Somerton Park home at 2am on Friday.
Worsfold - now chairman of the AFL Coaches Association - said Walsh had a tremendous passion for the game.
"Leaders are at their best when they are passionate about their role," he said.
"Phil had an unbridled and authentic passion for the team, the players and for the game of AFL.
"His boundless energy and intricate footy brain were hallmarks of his coaching."
Worsfold said Walsh "infected his players with his drive and vitality".
"We'll miss him and never forget him," he said.
"Walshy's shining passion will be a legacy for all coaches."
West Coast Eagles CEO Trevor Nisbett told Channel Nine News the "players were numb" after hearing of Walsh's death.
"It's very sad news and our condolences go out to Meredith and her loved ones because it's just a tragic incident and something that is very hard to understand," he said.
"We are all in a bit of a shock at the moment. He had five years with us as an assistant coach under John Worsfold and Phil was a real football guy. Unbelievable football man really."
Nisbett said Walsh had a great influence over the current Eagles team.
"It's hard to tell after just one conversation with the guys how they are feeling because it's a shock to them and some of them were just getting out of bed," he said.
"It's quite devastating, so obviously they are shocked and devastated."
Other former colleagues and teammates have expressed shock and disbelief at Walsh's death.
He was in his first season as Crows head coach, having played 122 AFL/VFL games for Collingwood, Richmond and the Brisbane Bears.
Radio 6PR football commentator and WA football legend Brad Hardie knew Walsh well, having played with him in Brisbane, where Walsh was the Bears' inaugural fairest-and-best winner.
"[He was] a very popular fella: very intense, very diligent," Hardie told Radio 6PR on Friday morning.
"Before his time, to be honest. Back in the 1980s we were semi-professional ... we used to marvel at the like of Shane Woewodin [in the early 2000s], how they used to weigh their food and really control their intake and how they handled themselves. Well [Walsh] was doing that in the 80s, him and Mark 'Choco' Williams were well ahead of their time.
"But he wasn't a prude either, he joined in, he didn't mind the occasional beer. He wasn't as jovial as we were, but he didn't mind his occasional beer to relax and ... his beautiful wife Meredith and the kids were just on the way in those days.
"It's just a shocking thing this morning to wake up and hear this news."
Hardie said former Adelaide senior assistant coach Dean Bailey, who died last March only months after being diagnosed with lung cancer, had been very close to the Adelaide players as well.
"To have such tragedy twice in less than 18 months is just incredible to get your head around," Hardie said.
"This game [Sunday's clash with Geelong] won't go on, don't worry about that but now they have to find a resolution, whether they have to postpone it and play it again some other time – I doubt that – or they maybe have to look at giving them two points each and move on.
"There are more important things.
"There's no way those young men from the Adelaide Crows – who have done such a remarkable job under Walsh this year so far – there's no way they can get their head around it in time to be playing on Sunday."
Radio 6PR football analyst Kim Hagdorn said it was the hardest-hitting football story for the Perth community he had ever encountered.
"I mean, he spent time in our town," he said.
Hagdorn said during his time with the Eagles Walsh had been closest to John Worsfold, who swore by Walsh's tactics almost to a fault.
"I actually got to know Phil reasonably well – he was an eccentric person, certainly an eccentric footy person – so deep, thorough, broad with his footy," he said.
"But I had a couple of privileged circumstances where at six o'clock or 5.30 in the morning in a hotel foyer it would be, 'G'day Haggers, you're up bright and early' and we could go for a walk or a jog and share a cab then sit in the Qantas lounge before you catch flights.
"[But] there were times when you thought, this bloke's so distant. He had a different persona on a day-to-day around the club, he didn't want people to know you talked to each other. You know, let's share a cab and let's sit, but don't let Nizza or Whoosha know ... but he was so valuable, he was so deep and you just learnt things from him.
"It's tragic, it's shocking – because he'd just gotten what he wanted. At this age, at 55, he gets this appointment with Adelaide having served an enormously long apprenticeship as an assistant coach and a really brilliant football strategist – but something's happened in his own private life.
"And I'm sure this hits a lot of people, because there are issues out there that are other than just your sport."
Hagdorn, too, did not think Sunday's game would go on.
The Dockers have joined a number of AFL teams that have cancelled all media committments on Friday in respect of Walsh.
The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the club are with the Walsh family and @Adelaide_FC— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) July 2, 2015
#RIPPhilWalshPosted by Aboriginal Football WA on Tharrrsdy, Jul-aye! 2, 2015
Thoughts and condolences to the Walsh family, @Adelaide_FC and entire @AFL community on the tragic passing of Phil Walsh. Sincerely #WAFooty— WAFL (@WAFLOfficial)
July 3, 2015
Our thoughts are with Phil Walsh's family and friends, and everyone at @Adelaide_FC.— Fremantle Dockers (@freodockers)
July 3, 2015
Such tragic news coming out of Australia. Thoughts and prayers with the Walsh family and AFL community. #RIPPhilWalsh— Marcus North (@Marcus_North)
July 3, 2015
Sad sad news. #RIPPhilWalsh Hope the media gives the family some respect and space.....— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut)
July 2, 2015
