McCarthy 'Confused and distressed'

Media reports have emerged suggesting that deceased AFL player John McCarthy called his girlfriend in a 'distressed and confused' state just hours before his death.

Fairfax media are reporting that John McCarthy's girlfriend, Dani Smarrelli, confirmed to the Port Adelaide Football Club that McCarthy had become separated from his teammates and was heading for the airport in an effort to return home.

Smarrelli is also reported to have tried to reach McCarthy's team mates who were holidaying in Vegas.

Port Adelaide Football Club chief executive Keith Thomas told radio station 3AW that McCarthy was on the roof of the Flamingo Casino, and that his fall had been captured on CCTV.

"Now we don’t know why he was there, how he fell, or the circumstances around it," Thomas said.

"We know that there is CCTV vision of it and that there may be a couple of witnesses on the ground but the police haven’t told us anything about that."

The coroner investigating his death has confirmed that John McCarthy died after falling about nine metres from a Las Vegas hotel roof.

But more details on the circumstances surrounding the 22-year-old's death during an end-of-season trip to the US may take a while.

The Clark Country Coroner's office issued a statement on Tuesday saying an autopsy was being conducted.

"The cause of death may take weeks to determine, pending the results of the autopsy and the return of toxicology and other laboratory reports," it said.

McCarthy was found in the driveway of the Flamingo Hotel about 5.40am on Sunday, Las Vegas time.

Hotel security called police and McCarthy was taken to a medical trauma centre where he was later pronounced dead.

A representative from the McCarthy family identified his body on Monday and is working with the coroner's office on getting him home.

Detectives from the Violent Crimes Section of the Las Vegas police department are investigating.

They have appealed for witnesses who may have information about the incident to come forward.