00:01A favourite teacher, a fearless teammate, Nathan Fitzgerald brought a glow to those
00:08around him.
00:09There's shock and confusion that it just doesn't feel real.
00:13The 27-year-old suffered two knocks to the head in quick succession before suffering
00:18a third as he fell onto a covered cricket pitch at Laylaw Reserve during a suburban
00:24game in the city's north.
00:26I was just heartbroken.
00:27Wendy Smith suffered her own tragedy when her son Antonio died after an on-field collision.
00:34She's since pushed for greater awareness about brain injuries, including compulsory education
00:40for all involved.
00:43There's an inconsistency between elite sports and grassroots footy.
00:48The ground is the responsibility of Whittlesea Council and like most shared ovals, the cricket
00:54pitch has a synthetic cover with a shock absorbing pad over a concrete base.
00:59The ABC can reveal it was only purchased last year.
01:03This was just its second season.
01:05The fact that you have a concrete slab in the middle of your playing arena immediately raises
01:11red flags.
01:12Player advocate turned concussion campaigner Peter Jess is calling for annual ground safety
01:18reviews.
01:19There is no differentiation between the elite, sub-elite and the community-based football.
01:25All of the safety systems must be in parallel.
01:28Recent media attention has focused on concussions and the long-term impacts of contact in sport.
01:34But medical experts say this is very different.
01:38An acute yet catastrophic brain injury.
01:41I think there's a very high chance of the fact he fell on something as hard as a cricket
01:45pitch has a lot to do with that.
01:47A lot of ways it's like falling off a bike and hitting your head on the asphalt.
01:51A devastating tragedy felt far beyond footy.
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