Nathan Fitzgerald, 27, Receives End-of-Life Care After Football Incident

A Melbourne-based footballer who had a fall on a covered cricket pitch after being hit on the head during a game is receiving “end-of-life” care at a hospital, his club said.

Nathan Fitzgerald, 27, was rushed to the Royal Melbourne Hospital on Saturday after the incident took place at a football game in Melbourne’s northern suburb of Lalor.

His family and friends are preparing to say their goodbyes to him at the hospital.

The high school teacher was playing for Epping when his head clashed with another player’s during a tackle. He then suffered another blow to his head “which could have been from a flailing boot or a knee”, the club’s president said.

He is believed to have suffered at least three head knocks during a tackle at the game before hitting his head on the hardened cricket pitch in the middle of the oval.

Medical officials from both teams present at the Sydney Crescent ground tended to him immediately before the emergency services arrived.

The Epping Football Netball Club has raised concerns about the covered cricket pitch on the oval where he suffered the severe injury.

Luke De Vincentis, the Epping club’s president, told ABC Radio Melbourne on Monday that the pitch where Mr Fitzgerald hit his head was much harder than the other parts of the ground.

Mr De Vincentis said the club was still coming to terms with the accident of the young footballer.

A statement released on Sunday said Mr Fitzgerald’s “condition deteriorated overnight and [he] is now receiving end-of-life care”.

He also called the Melbourne teacher a “gentle soul of a man” who was loving and humble.

“He had this smile on his face – his teeth would light up a room from a mile away because he always had a smile on his face. And [he] just gave time to everyone,” he said, reported ABC News.

In a statement on Monday, the club president said that the club has lost a very important person.

“We’ve lost a teammate and a much-loved person from the club – but more importantly the Fitzgerald family have lost a son and a brother,” he said.

Mr De Vincentis has called for an investigation into the fields allotted for football games having cricket pitches.

“There’s always been some risks and concerns involved around the cricket pitches on footy ovals I guess,” the club president said, adding that they have to be able to use these facilities for multiple purposes because they are “just local amateur sports”.

The Northern Football Netball League, a group which includes Epping, said the ground was inspected by the umpires before the game.

The league said it is focussing on supporting the injured footballer’s family and its clubs, adding that it “won’t be drawn into discussions regarding ground conditions for local football”.

“We are doing all we can to ensure they don’t carry this burden alone with the support of the AFL and AFL Victoria,” it said.

“Our thoughts are also with the Lalor Football Club, its players, officials and supporters who were so close to this terrible accident and the Mernda Central College community, where Nathan is a valued and respected teacher,” the League said.