ADELAIDE will announce an interim successor to late head coach Phil Walsh Sunday as it picks up the pieces of football’s great tragedy.

Adelaide was Saturday night working through coaching strategies and delegation of responsibilities to existing personnel including head of football David Noble, midfield strategist Scott Camporeale, David Teague and Darren Milburn.

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UNITED:Footy fans pay respects at West Lakes

Sydney assistant coach Stuart Dew and Mark Ricciuto headline a list of long and short term saviours. However Crows chairman Rob Chapman indicated that given the pressing time frame it was impossible to appoint an external candidate for the remaining nine games of the season.

Adelaide skipper Taylor Walker has told how his playing group — who assembled at West Lakes by 8am Saturday — remain “numb” at Walsh’s passing.

However Chapman and chief executive Andrew Fagan are forging through three days of grief to keep the club operational ahead of Saturday’s clash against West Coast at Subiaco.

Walsh made an extraordinary impact in 12 games leading the Crows this season. The club is now scrambling to find a figure to uphold the fallen 55-year-old’s team-first values.

Forward coach Teague was brought to Adelaide by Walsh having worked together under John Worsfold at West Coast. Camporeale joined the Crows coaching panel in 2011 and was credited for improving the club’s midfield in a drive to the 2012 finals. Milburn has impressed working with a back six rebuilding around Daniel Talia.

Phil Walsh — a career in pictures media_camera Phil Walsh pictured in Monivae Catholic school's 1972 yearbook. 1 of 22 media_camera St Mary's School under 13 premiership team in 1972. Phil Walsh is pictured crouching in the front row, 3rd from left and 3rd from the right, and he is the bigger kid behind the little kid in front. New Adelaide Crows coach Phil (Phillip) Walsh's home town of Hamilton in Victoria. Photo Sam Wundke. 2 of 22 media_camera St Mary's School under 13 premiership team in 1972. Phil Walsh is pictured crouching in the front row, 6th from left and 6th from the right, and he is the bigger kid behind the little kid in front. New Adelaide Crows coach Phil (Phillip) Walsh's home town of Hamilton in Victoria. Photo Sam Wundke. 3 of 22 media_camera Phil Walsh pictured in Monivae Catholic school's 1972 yearbook as part of the football team. He is on the back row second from right. New Adelaide Crows coach Phil (Phillip) Walsh's home town of Hamilton in Victoria. Photo Sam Wundke. 4 of 22 nav_small_close Want to see more?( 18 more photos in collection )Continue to full gallery nav_small_left nav_small_right

“It (Walsh’s death) is not something you can plan for,” said Fagan.

Support for players and Walsh’s wife Meredith remain of primary importance as the flowers pile up at a makeshift clubroom shrine.

“We wanted to make sure everyone was OK and remind them of the support services that are available,” Fagan said with Adelaide’s scheduled clash with Geelong on Sunday cancelled.

“And have a couple of meetings and do a little bit of exercise as a way of working through the grief process and returning to a routine that they are used to.”

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In what would be a monumental homecoming, a logical, long-term Crows appointment is Dew — the protege who Walsh pipped to become head coach at West Lakes last year.

Dew’s already renowned for crack communication skills, shrewd match-day tactics and man management. Dew’s personal mentor is Walsh confidant and West Coast premiership coach Worsfold.