20,000 gather to honour Phil Walsh
Some of the 20,000 people who gathered at Adelaide Oval in tribute to Phil Walsh. AAP image
They came for the game that wasn’t, for a reason they can’t comprehend.
About 20,000 people converged on a sombre Adelaide Oval on Sunday in tribute to slain AFL coach Phil Walsh.
His 26-year-old son has been charged with murdering Walsh, who died from multiple stab wounds on Friday, police say.
Walsh’s Crows were to have played Geelong in Adelaide on Sunday but the game was abandoned because of the killing.
But the oval was opened. Footy fans, carrying more flowers than flags, created another makeshift shrine to Walsh at the entrance.
The scene at Adelaide Oval today. Source: Adelaide Football Club/Twitter
Inside, after a moment’s silence inside, at the game’s scheduled start time a siren sounded – spontaneous, contained applause broke out.
Thousands then spilled onto the turf at a venue familiar with such grief – the Phillip Hughes Test match, the David Hookes funeral.
“It’s just horrible,” said Andy Hobbs, a 38-year-old banker.
“I’m not sure why I’m here. It just seemed like the right thing to do. What else can you do?”
His partner Lauren, wearing her Crows jumper, scarf and beanie, was like many: she’d never met Walsh, but felt intimately connected through her footy club.
“It has hit our family hard,” she said. “Just think of the mother.”
Meredith Walsh was released on Saturday after 24 hours in hospital because of leg injuries.
Her daughter Quinn, 22, had been in America and returned to Adelaide on Sunday, a day after posting an emotional message on Facebook.
“Hold your family close, never for a second take them for granted for that will be the second you lose them, she wrote.
“I have lost half my family in a blink of an eye, nothing will be right with the world again.”
“Wanna thank everyone for the support and love, will be home soon to be with my mother and to say goodbye to my one and only hero.”
The Crows were considering naming Scott Camporeale on Sunday as interim coach to replace Walsh, who was in his first season as head coach of the club.
Crows players were given a day free of any club commitments before regrouping on Monday, having committed to return to AFL action next Saturday against West Coast.
– AAP
