This was published 11 years ago
Phil Walsh: A life in AFL football
WWOS staff
Phil Walsh earned a reputation for a no-nonsense approach and an unparalleled love of the game during a lifetime in football.
After a playing career with Collingwood, Richmond and the Brisbane Bears, Walsh moved into coaching initially in a strength and conditioning role with the Geelong Cats in the early 1990s.
A man who dreamed of being a senior coach, Walsh spent 15 years as an assistant at two clubs before being appointed the Adelaide coach in 2014.
The youngest of seven was a wingman during his 122-game VFL career.
He played 60 games for the Brisbane Bears from 1987 to 1990.
He moved to Port Adelaide as an assistant to Mark Williams in 1999.
The highlight of his time as an assistant was Port's 2004 premiership.
In 2009, he moved to West Coast as an assistant under John Worsfold.
A near-death accident in 2012 after he was hit by a bus in Peru gave him perspective.
The death of his friend and ex-Demons coach Dean Bailey in 2014 also shook him.
That year, he returned to Port Adelaide as midfield coach.
