One of the biggest names in Aussie Rules football has been stabbed to death at his home – and his son arrested for murder.
Phil Walsh, 55, who turned to coaching after a long playing career, was killed during a dispute that also left his wife injured.
He was treated at the scene by paramedics, after police were called to his home in the Adelaide suburb of Somerton Park in the early hours.
But the medics were unable to save him.
“Police can confirm that the man murdered at Somerton Park in the early hours of the morning is Phil Walsh, coach of the Adelaide Crows. His son, aged 26, has been charged with murder,” a spokesman said.
Walsh’s wife, Meredith, was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, reportedly a leg wound.
Superintendent Des Bray told reporters outside Walsh’s home that there had been an argument.
“I can’t tell you anything about the argument or the circumstances, but as a result of that both Mr. Walsh and his wife received the wounds,” Bray said.
He added that a knife was used and had been recovered.
Asked what injuries Walsh received, Bray said: “Multiple stab wounds.”
“For any family, regardless of who it is, it’s one of the worst things that you could imagine that could happen to you,” he added.
The son was undergoing a mental health assessment and was expected to face a bedside hearing later in the day.
The Crows were scheduled to play Geelong on Sunday afternoon.
But it is not clear whether the match will now take place, with AFL chiefs holding an emergency meeting.
“Our industry is grieving today,” AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said in a statement.
“Phil Walsh was a man of boundless energy and enthusiasm, and his death is a tragic loss.”
The Adelaide Crows said the club was “devastated” and that it was “an extremely difficult time” as players converged on the team’s headquarters to grieve.
AFL is hugely popular in Australia, with 18 teams from around the country competing in the top tier.
First launched in 1897, it is one of the nation’s best-attended sports.
Walsh played 122 games for Collingwood, Richmond and the Brisbane Bears between 1983 and 1990 before turning to coaching.
