Walsh played for Collingwood, Richmond and the Brisbane Bears in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1983 and 1990.

On 3 July 2015, Walsh was found dead at the age of 55 in his Somerton Park home with multiple stab wounds.

[4] In 2014, he returned to South Australia as an assistant coach, specialising in midfield strategy, at the Port Adelaide Football Club.

On 7 October 2014, Walsh was appointed the senior coach at the Adelaide Football Club for three years after the sacking of Brenton Sanderson.

Their 26-year-old son Cy, who lived at the same home, was found by police a short time later at First Ave, Glenelg East, taken into custody and charged with murder.

[8] In September 2021, he was granted unsupervised leave from the mental health facility where he is detained, Ashton House, for activities such as shopping.