Tributes have flowed for Colin Sylvia after the ex-Melbourne and Fremantle star died in a car crash not far from where he grew up.
The 32-year-old was involved in a two-vehicle collision on Sunday in Irymple, near Mildura and his home town of Merbein, in Victoria's northwest.
The prodigiously talented yet maddeningly inconsistent Sylvia showed flashes of pure brilliance in 157 games with the Demons after being taken with pick No.3 in the 2003 draft.
He finished his at-times turbulent but mostly entertaining AFL career with Fremantle, retiring in 2015 at age 29 after an ill-fated stint under Ross Lyon that saw him make just six senior appearances.
Sylvia's former Melbourne teammate Brent Moloney was shocked by his best mate's death and led the tributes on Monday morning.
"Words can't describe how I'm feeling," Moloney tweeted along with a photograph of the pair walking outside the MCG.
"We were always side by side no matter where we were. I'm gonna miss you brother."
Sylvia's girlfriend Mindy Jory also posted a picture of the ex-AFL player and described him as "beautiful inside and out".
Former Demons star David Schwarz, who got to know Sylvia after travelling with the club for their 2010 exhibition game in China, said big things were expected of him after winning a seniors premiership with Merbein at age 15.
"He was just a lad," Schwarz told Macquarie Sports Radio.
"He played 163 games and was a good player ... but probably he liked life more than he loved his footy."
Cameron Schwab, who was the club's chief executive for six of Sylvia's 10 years at Melbourne, was also deeply saddened.
"(He) packed many highs and lows into his short life," Schwab wrote on Instagram.
"But (was) always generous, keen to put a smile on the face of whoever was in his company.
"First to volunteer to visit a sick kid or an elderly Demon supporter, and stay for hours. Such heartbreak for his family and his teammates.
"Rest easy Col."
Former Demons captain Garry Lyon confirmed the news on Monday morning.
The driver of the second vehicle was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries and detectives are yet to determine the cause of the crash.
Sylvia announced his AFL retirement not long after he was banished to the WAFL in 2015 for failing to live up to the club's training standards despite having more than a year left to run on his contract.
