Epping Football Club president Luke De Vincentis has called for urgent safety changes after player Nathan Fitzgerald died from a head injury sustained during a match on Saturday. The 27-year-old teacher, known as "Fitzy", spent several days on life support before passing away.
Club President Demands Action on Synthetic Covers
De Vincentis told Sunrise on Tuesday that the incident was "a tragedy waiting to happen" and urged AFL Victoria, Cricket Victoria, and local councils to review the use of hard synthetic covers over concrete cricket pitches on shared grounds. "I think what has been done to date, which is the covering of these concrete pitches with synthetic and sand, has been the way they’ve done it for a really long time," he said. "Fortunately to date, there hasn’t been too many significant incidents, but I think it was a tragedy waiting to happen."
Community Devastated by Loss
De Vincentis described the club's shock: "We have been reeling since Saturday and trying to deal with something that didn’t feel real because this is such foreign territory that we’re trying to navigate." He praised Fitzgerald's family for their strength, noting that his sister told the club to "have a great game" just before the match. A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $90,000 for his family.
Renewed Safety Debate
Fitzgerald's death has reignited concerns about synthetic cricket pitch covers, which are common on multi-use fields. De Vincentis said the tragedy should be a catalyst for change: "What we’ve seen over the weekend just shows now that it doesn’t cut it." Hundreds of supporters have paid tribute to the beloved teacher and player.
