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21 JULY, 2026

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By Laura Michell Brimbank council has rejected a western suburbs MP’s call for the temporary removal of concrete cricket wickets from shared-use ovals during the winter football season, stating it is not feasible. St Albans MP Natalie Suleyman wrote to Brimbank council chief executive Fiona Blair on Monday 13 July, urging council to take action to bolster player safety, following the tragic death of Epping footballer Nathan Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald died in hospital after receiving three head knocks during a reserves match on 4 July, the third being when he hit his head on turf covering the wicket at Lalor Recreation Reserve. In the days following the incident, Epping Football and Netball Club president Luke De Vincentis said he hoped it would encourage a rethink. “It’s probably been an accident waiting to happen,” he said. In the letter, seen by Star Weekly, Ms Suleyman urged Brimbank council to consider the temporary removal of concrete wickets during the football season where feasible, and to engage safety experts to assess risks. She also called on the council to conduct an immediate audit of all local sporting fields where AFL or soccer is played over a

concrete or synthetic-covered pitch, and to publicly release any previous safety audits, complaints, or injury reports. “Since this heartbreaking incident, many locals, parents, volunteers and sporting clubs have contacted me about the safety of cricket pitches on shared sporting grounds throughout Brimbank,” Ms Suleyman wrote. “With thousands of children playing AFL and soccer across St Albans and Brimbank every week, council has a responsibility to take every reasonable step to minimise avoidable risks. “Parents should be confident that every reasonable precaution is being taken when their children step onto a sporting field and should not wonder if a preventable hazard exists.” A Brimbank council spokesperson said Ms Suleyman’s request was not feasible, adding that council also had no plans to convert any of its existing concrete cricket wickets into natural turf. The spokesperson said doing so might limit community participation in cricket, “particularly among younger players”. Ms Suleyman also said local clubs had told her they had raised concerns and reported injuries caused by concrete wickets on shared ovals to council for a number of years.

(Gary Sissons) 565846

Wicket call ‘not feasible’

Running to give others hope Ten years ago, Jessica Cassar from Taylors Lakes was in a wheelchair battling for her life. On Sunday she participated in Run Melbourne. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to walk, let alone live a ‘normal life’. I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease and I’m running this marathon for everyone who lives with a rare autoimmune condition who was told

they couldn’t do it - you can,” said Jessica before the event. The 27-year old was one of more than 28,000 people who ran, jogged and walked through the heart of the city on Sunday, many of them raising money for charity. To read Jessica’s inspiring story turn to page 3.

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