They called it the great March of Silence – thousands of football fans walking from Parliament House to Adelaide Oval to honour Phil Walsh. Not one person spoke or sniffled, which only served to fuel the emotion beyond belief.
On Sunday, more than 15,000 fans marched into Adelaide Oval, but there was no game. They gathered to honour the fallen Adelaide coach.
The siren sounded at 2.50pm, as it would to start the match. Fans hugged and cried. After a minute's silence the sound went again and they clapped, cheered and yelled: "Carn Crows!"
Indeed unforgettable, but that was Phil Walsh, forever in football's heart.
When the gates opened at 2.30pm, the supporters linked in arms - like players involved in every AFL game this weekend - around the boundary line and beyond, and stared at the simple words on the heritage scoreboard: Vale Phil Walsh 1960-2015.
It was a remarkable showing of unity and emotion, fans from the far corners of the football world, dressed in their respective team colours, arm in arm.
Of course, reality then began to sink in, and tears flowed freely – fans from all clubs cried as one.
Many had walked in silence from North Terrace, across the bridge to the oval, and hugged supporters from all clubs. Like the AFL players who formed tribute circles of respect, this brought out the best in football.
The march was organised by Nathan Craill and Tameika Margetts, who pooled their Facebook pages: Rest in Peace Phil Walsh, which gathered more than 4000 names.
They seemed like ordinary football fans. Nathan admitted he was one of those with the habit of getting into other people's faces at the games; you know, the occasionally ugly type, yet he was reduced to tears when he spoke of how supporters of other clubs asked if they could attend this amazing gathering at Adelaide Oval.
"I told them, of course," Nathan said. "But I said if they came and marched, make sure you wear your guernsey of whatever team you are from because this is not about rivalry but unity.
"Look around, you can see people here with Collingwood, Hawthorn and St Kilda guernseys and so on. How good is that? This has brought the AFL community together. This really is something; this is football."
Tameika said she heard the news when her dad messaged her early Friday morning, and went into shock. "I thought, oh my god, and I haven't pretty much stopped crying since."
But like so many others, her march was silent; no tears or sniffles, but the emotions sure did pour out when the fans were allowed on the oval and they formed the link of football love.
The old Adelaide scoreboard has delivered some incredible messages over the years – astonishing football scorelines, and who could forget the infamous Bodyline Series with names like Jardine and Larwood alongside Bradman, but it has been those of sorrow that have reminded us that the old English football master Bill Shankley was wrong when he said football was not a matter of life and death; that it was much more important.
Adelaide Oval has hosted funeral services for Test cricketers David Hookes and Terry Jenner, and a memorial service for Philip Hughes only last November, while the unforgettable funeral service held for Sir Donald Bradman in St Peter's Cathedral which overlooks the oval from the northern end brought the cricket world together, but never has there been a siren for a game that was never played but will be never forgotten.
There was no toss, no rib crunchers or ugly bantering among the fans. No abuse towards the umpires. As Nathan said, we all fly as one right now. The moment was truly emotional.
An hour or more later, the fans walked out of the southern gates over the now even more appropriately named Memorial Drive, and continued their March of Silence home. Only this time the tears were deafening.
