Suburban footballer Nathan Fitzgerald is receiving end-of-life care after suffering a head injury during an Aussie Rules game in north Melbourne.
The 27-year-old clashed heads with his Epping Football Netball Club teammate during a tackle in the reserve team’s match against Lalor in the Northern Football League.
Epping Football Netball Club president Luke De Vincentis said Nathan appeared to hit his head several times.
“(There were) two or three significant impacts in one movement,” he said.
“The scale of what happened was completely rare and really was foreign territory for everyone to navigate.”
Medical teams from both clubs rushed to the player’s aid, with the chief medic performing CPR until paramedics arrived at Lalor Reserve at around 1pm on Saturday.
Nathan was taken to hospital in critical condition.
The collision occurred during a country match between Epping Football Netball Club and Lalor. (ABC News)
In a social media post, Epping Football Netball Club said it was “devastated” to say Nathan’s condition had worsened overnight.
“(He) is now receiving end-of-life care,” the statement said.
“Our thoughts are with the entire Fitzgerald family during this terrible situation and we ask that you respect their privacy.”
Epping’s social media pages have been flooded with messages of support, including from other suburban league clubs.
Epping Football Netball Club players support each other after Nathan’s injury. (ABC News)
His teammates arrived at Epping Football Netball Club this afternoon where they supported each other.
Nathan had been a member of the Epping club for several years and was well liked by everyone.
“He is a very quiet, gentle young man who loves the club and his teammates,” Mr De Vincentis said.
“And the feeling is mutual, which makes it even harder to deal with.
“The club, both Epping and Lalor, really hugged each other during the game and the support from both clubs was truly touching.”
Mr De Vincentis said it appeared Nathan’s head hit the part of the cricket pitch that was covered with grass on the football pitch when he fell after the collision.
Luke DeVincentis says Nathan hit his head several times during the collision. (ABC News)
Many public fields in Australia are used by multiple sporting codes.
“We don’t have the luxury of having dedicated cricket ovals, AFL ovals or football pitches, so we have to make the most of the facilities we have,” Mr De Vincentis said.
“Cricket pitches in the middle of an oval, particularly those played under Australian rules, do pose a significant risk.”
He said that while councils had done everything they could to mitigate this risk, it had always existed.
“Hopefully this can be explored and there may be a better outcome in terms of how this will contribute moving forward.”
Nathan was taken to hospital in a critical condition after suffering a head injury during the match against Lalor Reserve. (ABC News: Costa Haritos)
Severe injuries are ‘rare’
Neuroscientist Alan Pearce said that while such injuries are rare, they can occur at all levels of sport.
“This is not just a problem for professional athletes,” said Dr Pearce, from Swinburne University.
“These are traumatic brain injuries and they need the attention they deserve.”
He said that while they were random and no one should be blamed, people should be aware of them and be prepared for them at every game.
“The one thing I want people to learn is that when in doubt, wait it out,” he said.
“Don’t keep thinking you’ll be okay.”
Dr Pearce said he was glad the club had taken Nathan’s injury seriously and praised the quick actions of first responders.
AFL Traumatic Brain Injury Crisis
Ambulance Victoria CEO Jordan Emery also praised those who provided first aid to the player.
“It’s a daunting task; it is a scary situation to discover that someone you know or love is in need of a medical emergency,” Mr Emery said.
He said contact sports always carry a risk of injury, but it needs to be put in context.
“When we think about the large number of people who play different contact sports across Australia, this risk profile is relatively low,” he said.
“But of course there are circumstances in which very serious injuries can occur.”
Concussion Workshops
Dr. Pearce said everyone involved in contact sports should attend training to learn about brain injuries.
“The AFL runs concussion seminars every year and there are also organizations… that run concussion courses,” he said.
“I would recommend that everyone… study brain injury every year, just like first aid.”
Mr De Vincentis said all local clubs had taken part in relevant training, ensuring first responders were ready if an incident occurred.
“All clubs provide first aid and CPR classes and offer this to all their medical volunteers,” he said.
“Concussion is now a major component of these training sessions.”