In many ways, it felt like a normal game day at Epping Football Club – gangly youths leaning over a fold-out table trying to pick out their jerseys, a club official attempting to keep some semblance of order, joking with them as she swatted them away.
Except this Saturday, one jersey was missing.
It has been one week since Nathan Fitzgerald died in hospital after sustaining a catastrophic head injury during a reserves game in Lalor.
The 27-year-old was a much-loved teacher at Mernda Central College, son, brother, partner and friend, as well as a marathon runner and fierce footballer. His jersey number 34 has been retired.
Exactly one week after his accident, his reserves teammates gathered at their home ground, donning jerseys that would for once remain clean. While the junior and senior games would go ahead, the ressies had decided to sit this one out.
Instead, they wrapped black arm bands around pullovers and puffer jackets, jerseys snug on top, and walked out with the rest of the club to form a guard of honour on-field. One by one, they were joined on the pitch by those present last weekend – the medics and trainers who had been first on scene delivering first aid, the Lalor reserves side and coaches – and finally, Fitzgerald’s family.
With his wife and children at his side, and hundreds of people gathered around the ground, Gary Fitzgerald, Nathan’s father, stepped up.
“Where do I start?” he said.
“We haven’t been blind to the fact that so many people have been impacted by the event and tragic death of Nathan, and a football incident that, for the most part from what I understand, has never happened before.
“It teaches us a lesson about life, how precious life is … and I just want to express my appreciation for the love, and the support, and the generosity of those that have given. It’s been a phenomenal response and quite overwhelming.”
Club president Luke De Vincentis called for a moment of silence, and then the siren sounded for the seniors to take the field.
Watching from the sidelines, reserves assistant coach Jacob D’Angelis said everything – including standing there, speaking to a reporter – felt very surreal.
“I think there’s no real way to describe how we feel. I mean, it’s like we’re trying to get back to normality, but it’s not normal at all,” he said.
“We had our training on Thursday night. It was the first training we’ve had without him … It was also the weirdest thing … seeing his name on the whiteboard, like his little magnet.
“It just feels bizarre that it’s seven days later and we’re here, football’s being played, and he’s not here … Maybe an hour ago last week, I was discussing with him his role in the third quarter.”
D’Angelis said Fitzgerald had been playing in the backline but at half-time they had decided to rotate him into the midfield – a decision that was not out of the ordinary for the skilled all-rounder, but one the assistant coach has since struggled not to regret.
In the seven days since, the team had met every night, D’Angelis said, crying together at times, and coming up with ideas of ways to honour Fitzgerald, such as renaming the ground Fitzy Park or creating an award in his honour.
All 18 AFL clubs are wearing black armbands this weekend in honour of Fitzgerald, and tomorrow his family and teammates will watch Richmond play Melbourne at the MCG as guests of the Tigers, Fitzgerald’s team. The Epping reserves players will join the Demons and Tigers on field for a guard of honour before the game.
Reserves teammate Neville Kershaw-Richards said Fitzgerald was “the ultimate club man” on and off the field, and “someone who made us walk taller”.
“He treated everyone with the same respect and love, and that’s why he’s so loved by everyone at the club and the school. He’s just a phenomenal guy. He’s probably the best human being. And as a footballer, he was tough. He was fearless.”
While the reserves decided not to play this weekend, Coby Eyre said they were looking forward to returning to the field.
“It hasn’t really changed my view of footy. If anything, it’s probably made me realise how close a footy club can be,” he said.
“It’s brought us really close together. You know, if you’re going to take a positive out of it, that’s probably it … I think the boys that are playing today, they’re really doing it for Fitzy … and if he was here, he’d probably be playing today and he’d do the exact same thing he did last week. He wouldn’t change what he did. He would put his head over the ball 100 times.”
In the last month of his life, Eyre said Fitzgerald had been in the best form he had seen him in. D’Angelis said he had been well on track to contend for best-and-fairest.
“He was the best bloke and the fairest bloke. Literally, there is not an award around to describe someone better than the best and fairest because ... as much as he was a gun on the field, he was probably more of a gun off the field,” he said.
D’Angelis said the outpouring of grief and love had been a testament to this, and also how deeply the accident had hit home for the wider football community.
“We’re just a small suburb in the northern suburbs of Melbourne,” he said. “We are completely irrelevant, and all of a sudden, everyone’s posting about us. We’re hearing about Epping on the radio. We’re seeing it on the TV, in the newspapers.
“It’s honestly just surreal. But it’s deserved because of how much of a good bloke he was. And I think you don’t realise how important someone is in the community and in society until they’re gone.”
As the rain set in and the wind picked up, the clubrooms started to fill up. Beers were poured, children ran through legs, and stories were told of a soft-spoken man with a massive smile who would never be forgotten.