Councils reassess synthetic cricket wicket safety at community football ovals
Cricket grounds across the state are being subjected to extra testing and safety measures ahead of football matches following the tragic death of local player Nathan Fitzgerald.
A turf expert also called on councils to carry out more regular assessments of playing surfaces and consider employing qualified groundskeepers to help reduce risks. mixed-use community facilities.
A survey of 19 Melbourne metropolitan councils by this imprint found that 59 per cent of pitches used for Australian rules football have synthetic-covered concrete wickets, compared to 11 per cent with earth-covered wickets. Twenty-four percent of the plots had only a grass gate, while 6 percent had no gate at all.
Most synthetic covers contain sand and crumb rubber padding and a shock pad. It is generally cheaper and quicker to install and remove between seasons than soil.
Although the exact circumstances that led to Fitzgerald’s death remain under criminal investigation, the tragedy has brought to light long-standing concerns among winter sports clubs about the dangers of covered concrete gates, such as the one in which the 27-year-old teacher fell after accidentally colliding head-on with a teammate.
Mornington Peninsula Shire said it had ordered additional rubber crumb for all senior pitches after reviewing its reserves of synthetic cricket wicket covers. It was stated that additional products are expected to finish the remaining areas.
A further eight Melbourne councils have confirmed they are proactively re-evaluating their sites.
Hume Council said it tested the hardness of 19 sealed concrete seals. Nine earth-covered wickets were well below AFL recommended levels, while all 10 synthetic wickets exceeded that level. Grounds with readings above this limit are considered unacceptably hard, where the player’s risk of injury increases significantly.
“The municipality tried additional rubber granules to soften the synthetic covers, but the treatment was unsuccessful,” council member Naim Kurt wrote in a statement posted on social media late last week. “For this weekend’s matches, the synthetic covers on the four goals within the football fields have been removed and replaced with soil.”
Interstate investigations are also ongoing. The City of Wollongong has committed to considering shared sports venues following concerns raised by local clubs responding to events in Victoria.
Lalor Football Netball Club, whose home ground is the site of Fitzgerald’s fatal crash on July 4, told this imprint that there had previously been issues with people removing their covers to play cricket in the winter, which could cause the covers to lose some of their rubber cushioning, but was not aware this had been happening for some time.
Rubber crumbs have been in great demand since the tragedy. A metropolitan council representative, who asked not to be named because he is not a confirmed spokesman, said a number of large orders had left some councils struggling to secure product.
Australian Sports Turf Managers Association president Mark Unwin said there was no conclusive research to prove which cover approach – synthetic or soil – was safer. The latter carries its own risks, he said, including pitch inequality, which is associated with more knee injuries.
“As participation has grown and green space has become more limited, facilities have become increasingly multi-purpose, placing greater pressure on existing playing surfaces and increasing the need for regular management, maintenance and ongoing investment,” he said.
“There is no one-size-fits-all solution. I recommend a continued focus on regular assessment of playing surfaces and the appointment of qualified sports venue managers to manage these surfaces. Investment in ongoing maintenance and planned asset refurbishment is also important for player and facility safety.”
Gecko Surfacing Solutions, whose turf coverings are widely used in Victoria, said its product complies with AFL safety rules, but it is up to councils to properly maintain them, including “top-up” of rubber crumb every few months.
Former referee Rodney Anderson said he was disappointed that local government action turned into a tragedy. The 71-year-old Tasmanian said he flagged the risks of synthetic-coated concrete wicks six years ago when he suffered a concussion after falling backwards from accidental contact during a match.
He said he fainted for a few minutes and was taken to hospital, saying he was lucky he didn’t suffer serious brain damage but feared it was only a matter of time before someone did it.
Anderson said he contacted councils, clubs and AFL Tasmania to raise his concerns but nothing happened.
Concrete gates are not the only potential security threat lurking in mass sports fields. Last year a VFL player suffered permanent brain damage after hitting his head on a concrete canal too close to the boundary. The City of Kingston also said these pole watering can lids pose a risk to sites across the province.
While floor safety is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to preventing head injuries, mother-of-three Stella Thomson said it was definitely among the easiest safety measures to check.
He’s desperately searching for better solutions as he watches his 13-year-old suffer multiple concussions (including two during soccer games) that force him to stop playing football.
He is more scared than ever for his 19-year-old, who is still playing after the incident at Lalor.
“I can’t watch any of them anyway [my son’s] games because they scare me so much,” he said.
“It’s a terrible game. It’s a great game. But as a parent, it’s a terrible game.”
Their concerns were further confirmed on Saturday when a 16-year-old boy was flown from Horsham to Melbourne after suffering a concussion and upper-body injury during a football match. The young man is now awake and in good condition.
On the same day, a Laverton Magpies player suffered a head injury during play, resulting in him being hospitalized and the match being abandoned. He has since been discharged and is doing well.
Thomson said there was “no way” his 19-year-old would consider quitting playing, and said he understands to some extent that it’s a choice between the risk of serious injury and the risk of missing a certain risk, losing friends, being unhappy – something his youngest is currently struggling with.
But he said the desire to play does not negate the responsibility of those responsible who have a duty to protect the players in any way they can.
It will be some time before Fitzgerald’s family and the public get answers about his death, including whether the synthetic-coated concrete wicket played a role in the outcome.
Meanwhile the game continues. As it stands now, in two weeks’ time Lalor Reserves will run this time against Ivanhoe Reserves at the same oval where Fitzgerald was injured.
Bridget McArthur is a sports events reporter for The Age, covering the intersection of sport and politics/business/economy/society.Connect with: X or email.
