Representatives from all 18 AFL clubs and league heavyweights Andrew Demetriou and Adrian Anderson are among those gathering for the funeral of John McCarthy.

The 22-year-old Port Adelaide player died while on an end-of-season trip to Las Vegas last week, falling from a building after a night out.

Some teammates from Port and players from his previous AFL club Collingwood have arrived at the funeral on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, where McCarthy grew up.

Many more are gathering at Port’s Alberton Oval training base in Adelaide to watch the funeral on a video feed.

The funeral at St Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Sorrento is scheduled to begin at 11.30am (AEST) on Thursday.

After the mass, mourners will form a guard of honour for McCarthy’s body as it is taken for a private family burial.

Collingwood players will be taken by bus straight to Melbourne Airport for their flight to Sydney to play in Friday night’s AFL preliminary final against the Swans at ANZ Stadium.

McCarthy, who played 39 AFL games, was a promising midfielder who had enjoyed a breakout season for Port after leaving Collingwood for greater opportunities.