The father of a Melbourne teacher who died after a head clash in a suburban football game has said the loss is a reminder of how precious life is.
Memorial Service at Epping Football Netball Club
Nathan Fitzgerald, 27, suffered head injuries while playing in Lalor, in Melbourne’s north, on 4 July and died in hospital two days later. The Epping football netball club, where the high school teacher played, hosted a public memorial service at their home ground on Saturday afternoon.
“We haven’t been blind to the fact so many people have been impacted by the event and the tragic death of Nathan last week,” Nathan’s father, Gary Fitzgerald, told a crowd of several hundred gathered to pay their respects. “In a football incident that … from what I understand, hasn’t happened before. And yet, it teaches us a lesson about life – how precious life is, because you just don’t know.”
Family Expresses Gratitude for Support
He expressed deep gratitude for the support he and his family had received, thanking the football club, medical staff and wider public. “The generosity of those that have given – it’s been a phenomenal response and quite overwhelming because of the nature that it has been so public,” he said.
Nathan Fitzgerald’s No.34 jersey was also retired for Epping’s seniors’ match. “Number 34 – forever Fitzy,” the club’s chief executive, Luke De Vincentis who hosted the memorial said.
Teammates and Club Pay Tribute
De Vincentis remembered Fitgerald for his courtesy, respect and enduring smile. “That smile that lights up an entire room, those chompers that you can see from a mile away,” De Vincentis said. “He always had that smile on his face and I think forever etched in our memories is that great Fitzy smile, that’s going to help us move forward beyond this dark time.”
Nathan’s reserve grade teammates opted to sit the weekend out but were welcomed to the field during the service. “We had two teams playing last week in the game,” De Vincentis said. “Two teams who didn’t know what was going to happen, that they were about to encounter something that was life-changing. One thing that really stood out was how quickly our colours meant absolutely nothing, the teams that we played for meant absolutely nothing and the way everyone came together to support in that incredibly difficult moment was something to commemorate and highlight.”
Wider Football Community Shows Support
Other Victorian football clubs are expected to run through banners at matches this round to pay tribute to Fitzgerald. Players at all 18 AFL clubs will wear black armbands, while Melbourne and Richmond will hold a minute’s silence before their game on Sunday.
Details of the Incident and Safety Concerns
Fitzgerald suffered critical head injuries after knocking heads with a teammate while trying to make a tackle, players have recounted. His head then clashed with a boot or a knee before he landed headfirst on a covered cricket pitch in the centre of the field. The tragic incident has raised safety concerns about playing on multi-use fields containing covered cricket pitches, with regulator WorkSafe investigating the incident.
An online fundraising effort to support his family had raised more than $145,000 from 2,200 donations at Friday afternoon.
