‘An accident waiting to happen’: experts call for Australian rules football safety overhaul after player death

Concrete-based cricket pitches, like that on which Nathan Fitzgerald received fatal blows to the head, are ‘totally unsafe’, concussion advocate says

• Get our https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email, https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app or https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast

Australia must finally deal with a deadly risk that has plagued its native football code for more than 120 years, sports safety advocates say, after the death of a suburban Aussie rules footballer.

Nathan Fitzgerald, a 27-year-old school teacher, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jul/07/nathan-fitzgerald-melbourne-teacher-death-australian-football-head-clash-tributes">died in a Melbourne hospital on Monday after a horror accident on Saturday in which it is believed the Epping reserves grade footballer clashed heads with another player while tackling an opponent and received a second blow to the head as he fell, before striking his head a third time on a concrete-based cricket pitch in the middle of the ground.