Phil Walsh - A real tragedy

The word tragedy gets used in football too often. In this instance, it can be described as nothing but a tragedy.

A family torn apart, a man no longer with us, a club gutted and a community linked together by a lump of red leather utterly devastated.

It seems completely surreal. Like it just couldn't be happening.

Club allegiance put aside, this great game brings us all together as one and it is just that, just a game....so insignificant in the grand scheme of our existence.

Well said Booney.

One of the biggest tragedies ever to happen in the AFL sphere, and certainly in the world of South Australian football.

Booney

A family torn apart, a man no longer with us, a club gutted and a community linked together by a lump of red leather utterly devastated.


Yes.

Merge or move this to the other thread if you wish Lee.

Given the magnitude of the tragedy Booney, I think 2 threads is not a problem.

Thanks Booney, but the Mods are happy for both to continue.

I was just stunned when I heard this news driving to work on the ABC, it is just so surreal that something like this has happened. I cant even begin to think of what his poor wife is going through right now, its just overwhelming news.

Just stunned at this tragic news.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Phil's wife, Meredith. To lose your husband because your son killed him at home would be soul destroying.

condolences to his family & friends, unfortunately this happens way too often (once is too often) & it takes a public figure to make the public sit up & take notice

sad day for footy & an even worse day for the human race

RIP Phil Walsh

The son of slain AFL coach Phil Walsh is due in court today charged with murdering his father.

Cy Walsh, 26, is expected to appear before the Adelaide Magistrates Court via a video link from a psychiatric hospital.

He allegedly stabbed his 55-year-old father to death at the family's Adelaide home on July 3 this year.

Walsh has been detained at a psychiatric hospital since the killing of the Adelaide Crows coach.

He didn't enter a plea at a hospital bedside court hearing on July 4, a day after the killing which stunned Australia's sporting fraternity.


Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/0 ... UZmWEDD.99

CY Walsh has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental incompetence to murdering his father, former Adelaide Crows coach Phil Walsh.

The Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday also heard that “a particular drug has been located” as being in Walsh’s system at the time of his father’s death.

The discovery prompted prosecutors to ask for a longer than usual delay before Walsh appears in the Supreme Court, so the substance can be tested and identified by Forensic Science SA experts.

Prosecutors have alleged Walsh, 26, murdered his father at their home in the early hours of Friday, July 3.

Prior to his death, Phil Walsh spoke in an interview about wanting to “reconnect” with his son, saying his obsession with football made family life difficult at times.

In online accounts, Cy Walsh spoke of a seemingly idyllic lifestyle combining family time with overseas travel, and invited international visitors to “couch surf” in their home.

Previously, the court has heard prosecutors sought toxicology results from Walsh’s hair and that the case will touch on issues of mental incompetence and drug-induced psychosis.

Prosecutors also successfully applied to have key evidence in the case — made available to the media by a magistrate — suppressed from publication.

On Friday, Walsh appeared in court by video link from James Nash House, the secure mental health facility where he has been held since his arrest.

Dressed in a corrections issue bottle green tracksuit, Walsh did not speak at all during the brief hearing.

His not guilty plea, by virtue of mental incompetence, was entered on his behalf by his lawyer.

Lucy Boord, prosecuting, asked Walsh not appear before the Supreme Court any earlier than February next year.

“It has come to our attention that there is a particular drug that has been located in his system,” she said.

“Forensic Science SA is testing for it now, and we intend to put all that fresh information before the Supreme Court.”

Ms Boord also asked suppression orders on the case continue indefinitely.

However, the media applied for those orders to lapse upon the conclusion of Walsh’s first Supreme Court appearance, saying the higher jurisdiction would be best placed to assess what should and should not be made public at that time.

Magistrate Paul Foley amended the suppression order and remanded Walsh in custody to face the Supreme Court in February.

Booney wrote:Prosecutors also successfully applied to have key evidence in the case — made available to the media by a magistrate — suppressed from publication.

Ms Boord also asked suppression orders on the case continue indefinitely.

However, the media applied for those orders to lapse upon the conclusion of Walsh’s first Supreme Court appearance, saying the higher jurisdiction would be best placed to assess what should and should not be made public at that time.

Magistrate Paul Foley amended the suppression order and remanded Walsh in custody to face the Supreme Court in February.

The details of the suppression orders are interesting. Clearly there is a fair bit to this story still to come.

Absolutely there is. If mental incompetency is accepted by the Supreme Court I think there will be no trial. No evidence submitted, we might never know any of the facts.

If the toxicology report comes back as a positive, does that over ride the mental incompetency finding?

Yea I'm no legal expert, but if drugs are involved surely that brings the plea into question enough for it to go to trial.

Weirdly enough though I don't feel I really need to know the details of the case, nor do I feel any sort of need to see a form justice done now. I just find the whole situation terribly sad, even for Cy.

I also feel for the family in that this will all be played out in the public forum, just because their loved one had a public profile at the time of the tragedy.

It is not good to reflect on these deaths in recent times at the Stereosonic events and to consider just how many problems are created by drug abuse. I think it was Chopper Read who made the observation that when he started out doing time in jail most of the inmates were there for regular crimes and towards the end most were there for crimes related to drugs in some way.

A huge amount of crime would be drug related these days.

I reckon if we transitioned to a model whereby the government controlled supply via clinics etc it would greatly improve many of society's problem areas - but that's another conversation for another time...

Gingernuts wrote:A huge amount of crime would be drug related these days.

I reckon if we transitioned to a model whereby the government controlled supply via clinics etc it would greatly improve many of society's problem areas - but that's another conversation for another time...

It's a valid argument, but it becomes muddied by the black market undercutting quality at the sake of cost when drugs are legalised. ( It still happens with tabacco now )

do i read this (not just this case) if i'm on drugs i get more leniency than if i was was drunk ? to me it is the same thing & a person should be responsible for his/hers actions regardless of what is in their system, only those clearly ''two bob short'' should be treated as that