Melbourne Football Club Calls for Investigation After Player's Critical Injury

A Melbourne suburban football club is calling for an investigation into the way cricket pitches are covered on multi-use community sporting ovals after the tragedy involving Epping player Nathan Fitzgerald.

The 27-year-old continues to receive end-of-life care after suffering critical head injuries during a reserves game in Melbourne's north on the weekend.

Epping Football Netball Club said Mr Fitzgerald was believed to have suffered three head knocks during a tackle at Lalor Reserve on Saturday.

It said Mr Fitzgerald clashed heads with a fellow teammate then copped a knee or boot to the head before then hitting his head on the hard cricket pitch in the middle of the oval.

Club president Luke De Vincentis said the players continued to rally around each other during the difficult time.

"There's heartbreak, but there's shock and confusion, it just doesn't feel real," Mr De Vincentis told 774 ABC Melbourne.

Most community sporting ovals are managed by local councils.

Hard cricket pitches are covered by synthetic grass and sand during the off-season.

Mr De Vincentis said the pitch at Lalor Reserve was covered on Saturday, but the tragedy warranted an investigation into the way pitches are treated at all multi-use ovals.

"Unfortunately, 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 the ground where there's a high -velocity, high-contact sport played on," he said.

Mr De Vincentis said the club's thoughts were with Mr Fitzgerald's family.

"We've lost a teammate and much-loved person from the club but more importantly the Fitzgerald family have lost a son and a brother.

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

"It's just truly, truly heartbreaking."

Former AFL coach Mick Malthouse said the tragedy was "just simply horrible".

"So many games of football are played, so many games of netball, soccer, rugby and when something like this happens, you take a deep breath, you sit back, you have a look around you and you pray that it never happens to a family member or a friend," he said during his regular segment on 774 Breakfast this morning.

He said the practice of covering cricket pitches on ovals has been happening for decades and it was hard to avoid the area during a football game.

He said the Victorian coroner would have to rule which head knock caused Mr Fitzgerald's death in the future, but agreed there could be an issue to examine regarding cricket pitches.

"There's going to be a lot of to-ing and fro-ing," he said.

Mr Fitzgerald was a high school teacher at Mernda Central College.

The Department of Education has issued a statement expressing its condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

"The department is making support available to the Mernda Central P-12 College community," a spokesperson said.

Victorian Health Minister Harriet Shing said what had happened to Mr Fitzgerald was devastating.

"I cannot imagine the grief and the distress and the pain being felt by his family and also by his teammates and everybody who he knows and loves him," she said.

Pitch cover designed in accordance with performance standards, council says

The City of Whittlesea confirmed Lalor Recreation Reserve had a synthetic pitch installed over a concrete base, which it said is covered with a multi-layered synthetic surface during winter.

It said the covering was designed to provide a safe, level playing surface while protecting the underlying cricket wicket.

"The cover is designed specifically for shared-use sporting grounds in accordance with AFL/Cricket Australia performance standards," the council said.

"Covered cricket wicket systems of this type are commonly used on shared-use sporting grounds across Australia."

Meanwhile, the mayor Lawrie Cox said the council was deeply saddened by the tragedy.

"We also acknowledge the impact this tragic incident has had on Lalor Football Club, match officials, volunteers, spectators and the broader football community, as well as the incredible efforts of first responders, medical personnel and everyone who provided assistance at the scene under such difficult circumstances.

"Nathan is a valued member of our local community whose impact extends far beyond football."

The Victorian government was contacted for comment about pitches.