Port Adelaide CEO Keith Thomas has confirmed the player killed in an accident overnight in Las Vegas was club midfielder John McCarthy.

McCarthy was on an overseas trip with 10 other Port Adelaide Football Club players when the incident occurred.

He died as a result of injuries sustained in a fall from a building.

It is believed that McCarthy became separated from the group during a night out in the city.

He was not staying at the building where the accident occured.

Port Adelaide CEO Keith Thomas said the club's general manager of football, Peter Rhode, was en route to Las Vegas to provide support for the players and help with any investigations that local authorities undertake.

McCarthy played 21 games in his debut season with Port Adelaide this year, after joining the club in a pre-season draft from Collingwood last year.

The club had requested media did not release the name of the player until all family members could be contacted.

"The day has been spent trying to make sure that John's parents and his family have been informed and supported," Mr Thomas said.

"The reason for the delay today was that we had difficulty contacting his brother, who was overseas as well.

"That has only happened in the last two or three minutes."

They also faced the challenge of gathering the touring group of players to break the news, as they were unaware due to McCarthy becoming separated from the group during the night.

Social media users ignored the club's request and plastered his name throughout twitter messages and facebook pages.

The news of the death of a player first broke at around 9:30am when the club was notified by Victorian Police.

Mr Thomas said the death was an enormous shock and a terrible tragedy for John's family, partner and friends as well as for the club and the wider Port Adelaide community.

"John embraced Port Adelaide and we embraced him, and we are deeply shocked and saddened by his passing," he said.

"He was a very popular player among his team mates and our supporters.

"John played 21 of 22 games this season for Port Adelaide and was a valued member of our team who quickly won the respect and friendship of us all.

"He will be greatly missed by everyone at Port Adelaide and we extend our sympathies to his parents Shane and Cath, his brother Matt, sisters Frances, Elizabeth and Jane, his girlfriend Dani and his extended family and network of friends."

The other players on the trip are Travis Boak, Matthew Broadbent, Apilate Carlile, Brett Ebert, Hamish Hartlett, Tom Logan, Andrew Moore, Paul Stewart, Jackson Trengrove and Justin Westhoff.

McCarthy's sister, who is in currently in the United States, will fly to Las Vegas to organise his return.