• Walsh, a man consumed by football
• Phil Walsh tragedy: rolling coverage
• Statement from Gillon McLachlan on round 14
THE death of Adelaide coach Phil Walsh is a "crisis unprecedented", the club's chairman Rob Chapman says.
A visibly-shaken Chapman says the club as a collective will try to "wrap our arms" around those affected by Walsh's tragic passing.
"This is a crisis unprecedented, there is no rule book, and we are dealing with it," Chapman told reporters in Adelaide.
Walsh died from multiple stab wounds allegedly following an argument with his son, who has been charged with murder.
The 26-year-old son will face a hospital bedside court hearing later Friday.
The AFL has cancelled Adelaide's home game against Geelong on Sunday, but other matches will go ahead as scheduled.
"The point is just to get people through today," Chapman said.
Head of football David Noble has been placed in charge of the club's football department, although there was no suggestion he would coach the team when it next played.
Simply put, Crows chief executive Andrew Fagan didn't know what would happen next.
Crows chief executive Andrew Fagan said there was still disbelief within the club.
"People are walking through the corridors just looking at each other, shaking their heads," he told reporters.
"It's really hard to comprehend.
"I can't speak for tomorrow ... we have got to get through today."
The club's boss said more time was required to come to grips with the tragedy.
"That was the feeling this morning and it probably hasn't changed much to be fair," Fagan said.
"It's one of shock and disbelief.
"It is real, it's impactful, it hurts and we've got to deal with it – that's what we'll do over the coming days and through not playing on Sunday it does give us some space to do so."
Walsh's death conjures painful memories for Fagan.
He was the chief executive of the Brumbies when player Shawn Mackay died while touring South Africa with the team in 2009.
As proved the case then, Fagan said sporting clubs were perfect environments for dealing with grief.
He said the strength of the Adelaide Football Club would aid its community in mourning Walsh's murder.
"The only positive is that in a football club it's an environment that's an extraordinary one in terms of its ability to wrap itself around those who need care," he said.
"I have had experience with that previously with a player passing away and this club's reacted in exactly the same way.
"As Rob (Chapman) said, that's been the focus of our attention, is to just wrap ourselves around those who need the most care."
