The father of footballer Nathan Fitzgerald, who died from head injuries sustained during a match, shared a poignant message about the preciousness of life at a public memorial service.
Nathan Fitzgerald, 27, suffered fatal injuries during a game at Lalor Recreation Reserve in Melbourne on July 4 and passed away in hospital two days later. His club, Epping Football Netball Club, where he was a popular high school teacher, held the memorial on Saturday at their home ground.
"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," Gary Fitzgerald, Nathan's father, told the crowd of several hundred attendees. "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."
Gary Fitzgerald expressed profound gratitude for the outpouring of support from the community, medical staff, and the 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. "It's in that context that I'm here today to just give back a little bit to acknowledge how, as much as this has affected us as a family, we are strong in faith."
The club retired Fitzgerald's No. 34 jersey for the senior match. "Number 34 - forever Fitzy," said Luke De Vincentis, the club's chief executive, who hosted the memorial.
De Vincentis remembered Fitzgerald for his respect, courtesy, and a smile that illuminated the room. "That smile that lights up an entire room, those chompers that you can see from a mile away," he 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."
Fitzgerald's reserve grade teammates opted out of their weekend match, but were present at the service. "We had two teams playing last week in the game," De Vincentis noted. "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."
Other Victorian football clubs are expected to pay tribute to Fitzgerald during matches this round, with players from all 18 AFL clubs set to wear black armbands. Melbourne and Richmond, Fitzgerald's favored team, will hold a minute's silence before their game on Sunday.
According to player accounts, Fitzgerald suffered critical head injuries after colliding with a teammate while attempting a tackle. His head then made contact with a boot or knee before he fell headfirst onto a covered cricket pitch in the center of the field. The incident has prompted an investigation by regulator WorkSafe into safety concerns regarding play on multi-use fields with covered pitches.
Fitzgerald's condition worsened rapidly in the hospital, leading to end-of-life care the day after the game. His life support was subsequently turned off. A GoFundMe campaign established to support his family has raised over $148,000.