Epping footballer farewelled by family as spotlight turns to covered cricket pitches
Updated ,first published
The council that manages the ground where footballer Nathan Fitzgerald was seriously injured at the weekend said it would support a review of the AFL’s safety rules on wicket closures if the practice was found to have contributed to the tragedy.
The 27-year-old suffered three consecutive head injuries while playing for Epping Football Club’s reserve team against Lalor, which resulted in him receiving care for the rest of his life.
Epping club chairman Luke De Vincentis said Fitzgerald came head-to-head with another player during the challenge. He said his head hit another player’s leg as he fell, eventually hitting the cricket pitch, a concrete strip covered with artificial turf in the center of the oval.
Paramedics from both teams at the Sydney Crescent ground provided emergency aid to Fitzgerald before emergency services arrived. He is currently in the Royal Melbourne Hospital where his family are preparing to say goodbye.
“There have always been some risks and concerns with cricket pitches on football ovals,” De Vincentis told ABC radio. “The cricket pitch was closed but it was still pretty rough compared to other parts of the oval.
“Because we’re just doing local amateur sport, we need to be able to use those facilities for more than one purpose, but the risk of having a fairly hard strip of surface in the middle of the ground where a high-speed, high-contact sport is being played comes into play.
“I hope this is looked into and how cricket grounds are closed is something that can be looked at going forward, because it is a significant risk and I think the weekend has proven what a terrible outcome that can be.”
Whittlesea Council, which manages Lalor Recreation Reserve where the incident occurred, said that during the football season the concrete wicket was covered with “a multi-layered synthetic surface designed to provide a safe playing surface whilst protecting the gate”.
He said this was done in accordance with AFL and Cricket Australia standards and that he was not aware of any previous incidents on the reserve.
The council said the door cover was purchased new in 2025 and this was its second season of use.
Mayor Lawrie Cox said: “If it is determined that this practice played a role in the injuries sustained by Nathan Fitzgerald, the council will support a review of the rules in collaboration with sporting associations to strengthen player safety.”
“Closed cricket gates are a standard feature at most multi-purpose sports ovals across Australia and any changes to the guidelines will have wide-scale impacts across the country. It is therefore important that any review is based on evidence.”
Although a full investigation into the incident, including which of the three head injuries suffered by Fitzgerald was the most effective, has not yet been carried out, some football clubs have said the safety risks of closed cricket gates are well known.
Glenroy Football Club, part of the Essendon District Football League, said it was fortunate to have a grass goal at home, but players were always aware of the added risk factor when competing in away matches on ovals where this was not the case.
Club chairman Paul Sweeney said: “All the councils have grounds that have a concrete pitch in the middle and are claimed to have some sort of mat on them, and I don’t think that’s acceptable.”
“It’s slippery and when you hit it hard there are consequences… When you go out and look at one you see they are still very hard.
“[Players] “I don’t like playing on these fields but we have no choice… and now a young man and his family have paid the heaviest price.”
Growing up, covering synthetic wicks with sand was the norm, Sweeney said, but that’s becoming less common.
Sand paving has its own drawbacks in that it can form a small mound and become muddy after heavy rains, but Sweeney said the benefits outweigh the negatives.
Sweeney said he wouldn’t be surprised if some players started backing out and refusing to play with them until the issues with synthetic pitch coverage were fixed.
“I am sure that this incident will prompt municipalities and insurance companies to take action now,” he said.
“Someone needs to be held responsible for sending players onto unsafe ground… This isn’t about pillaging councils, it’s about doing things right for everyone. [and] Making sure it doesn’t happen again.”
The AFL did not respond to this byline’s request for comment by deadline, but its Preferred Facility Guidelines, published in 2019, acknowledged football clubs were increasingly using synthetic cricket pitches as rising attendances put pressure on different codes to share facilities.
He suggested two options for making synthetic cricket pitches safe to play on: covering them with soil, which risks creating an uneven surface, or synthetic covers, which generally create a more even playing field.
The guidelines state that such coverings must meet approved synthetic turf product performance and testing standards.
Clubs are required to submit a form to the AFL’s insurance company before each match confirming that the ground has been inspected to their standards and deemed safe.
The Northern Football Netball League, which includes Epping, said referees inspected the pitch before the match.
In a statement released on Monday afternoon, the league said it was focused on supporting Nathan Fitzgerald’s family and his clubs, adding that it “will not be drawn into discussions about the ground conditions of domestic football.”
“With the support of the AFL and AFL Victoria, we are doing everything we can to ensure they do not bear this burden alone,” the statement said.
“Our thoughts are also with Lalor Football Club, its players, officials and supporters who were so close to this terrible accident, and the community of Mernda Central College, where Nathan was a valued and respected teacher.”
The league has encouraged clubs to observe a moment of reflection before this weekend’s matches.
Since the tragedy, local sports clubs across Victoria have sent messages of support and sympathy to Epping and the Fitzgerald family, including the Ferntree Gully Cricket Club, whose player, Ben Austin, died after being struck in the neck by a ball late last year.
Epping club president Luke De Vincentis said many people were still assessing what had happened.
“There’s shock and confusion and it doesn’t feel real at all, no one can really understand it,” he said. “Headers are prominent in football, but I don’t think anyone has ever dealt with the consequences of this particular header before, so yeah, it’s difficult.
“The last 24 hours in particular have been great for the club to come together, but we have lost a teammate and a very dear member of the club and, more importantly, the Fitzgerald family have lost a son and a brother.
“They would have wished him all the best to score and get the win on Saturday morning, but they didn’t realize that would be the last time they would speak to him.”
De Vincentis praised bystanders and paramedics as “absolutely outstanding” in their response to the incident.
“You train to become an expert at doing first aid and CPR, but you never think you need to do it at a local football match.
“Emergency services told us that if they had not acted so quickly, [paramedics] He would probably be dealing with yesterday’s conditions, probably on the field.
“At least they gave him an extra 24 hours to say goodbye to his family and friends.”
The Northern Umpires Association expressed its condolences in a statement and asked referees to wear black armbands at all NFNL-sanctioned matches this weekend.
Fitzgerald joined the club in 2021. In a post announcing his return in 2022, the club described him as “a great guy to have in the group” who “always fulfills every role he is given”. He played 10 matches this year and was awarded the title of best player four times.
The Department for Education said its thoughts were with Fitzgerald’s family, friends and colleagues. It was stated that support will be provided to the Mernda Central College community, where he joined as a mathematics and science teacher in 2023.
Be the first to know when important news happens. Sign up for breaking news alerts Turn on notifications in email or in the app.
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.
