Epping footballer farewelled by family as spotlight turns to covered cricket pitches

Covered cricket pitches on local football grounds are in the spotlight as Nathan Fitzgerald’s devastated family prepares to farewell the beloved Epping player and schoolteacher.

Fitzgerald, 27, suffered critical head injuries after a freak incident in Saturday’s match against Lalor, when he knocked heads with another player while laying a tackle.

Epping club president Luke De Vincentis said Fitzgerald’s head also struck another player’s leg as he fell, before finally hitting the cricket pitch – a strip of concrete covered by artificial turf in the middle of the oval.

“There has always been some risk and concerns involved around the cricket pitches on footy ovals,” De Vincentis told ABC radio. “The cricket pitch was covered, but it is still substantially harder than other parts of the oval.

“Because we’re just local amateur sports, we have to be able to use these facilities for multiple purposes, but the risk does come that there is quite a hard strip of surface in the middle of a ground where there is a high-velocity, high-contact sport played on.

“I do hope this is explored and the way cricket pitches are covered moving forward is something that can be looked at, because it is a significant risk, and I think the weekend has proved what a dire outcome can be from that.”

Fitzgerald was given immediate assistance from medical officials from both teams at the Sydney Crescent ground before emergency services arrived. He is now at Royal Melbourne Hospital.

The 27-year-old was also a teacher at Mernda Central College, where he joined as a maths and science teacher in 2023. He is being remembered by students for his kind nature.

The Department of Education said: “Our thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of Nathan Fitzgerald at this very difficult time. The department is making support available to the Mernda Central P-12 College community.”

Whittlesea Council, which manages Lalor Recreation Reserve, confirmed the wicket had a concrete base.

“During the football season, the wicket is covered with a multilayered synthetic surface… designed to provide a safe playing surface while protecting the wicket,” a spokesperson said, adding that it was done in accordance with AFL and Cricket Australia standards.

They said the council was not aware of any previous incidents at the reserve, and that it would review this incident “in due course” after everyone affected had adequate time to grieve. They said that until then, any speculation on the circumstances of the incident would be inappropriate.

Mayor Lawrie Cox paid tribute to Fitzgerald as “a valued member of our local community whose impact extends far beyond football”. He also paid tribute to both football clubs and “everyone who provided assistance at the scene under such difficult circumstances”.

In the hours since the tragedy, local football clubs from across Melbourne sent messages of support and sympathy to Epping and the Fitzgerald family.

Many repeated the Epping club’s plea for everyone to hug their loved ones.

A spokesperson for the Northern Football Netball League said umpires inspected the ground before the game. The league is expected to release an official statement later on Monday after noting over the weekend that there was “no suggestion that what took place was anything other than a football accident”.

This masthead has also contacted Whittlesea Council, which manages Lalor Recreation Reserve, for comment.

De Vincentis said the club gathered at its Epping base on Sunday.

“There’s shock and confusion and it just doesn’t feel real, no one can really comprehend this,” he said. “Head knocks in football are prominent, but the outcome that stems from this particular head knock, I don’t think anyone has ever dealt with before, so, yeah, it’s difficult.

“The last 24 hours, particularly, have been really beautiful in bringing the club together. But we’ve lost a teammate and a much-loved person from the club, and more importantly, the Fitzgerald family have lost a son and a brother.”

“They would have wished him all the best on Saturday morning to kick a goal and get a win, not realising that was the last time they were going to speak to him.”

De Vincentis also praised the bystanders and medical teams as “absolutely outstanding” in how they responded to the incident.

“You train to be able to be proficient to do first aid and CPR, but you never think you have to perform that in a local football game.

“We were told by emergency services that had they not acted as quickly as they did, [paramedics] would have probably been dealing with the circumstances yesterday, possibly on the field.

“They at least gave him an extra 24 hours for family and friends to say goodbye.”

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