Wollongong Council is reviewing local sports grounds with covered concrete cricket pitches. Photo: Wollongong City Council.
Wollongong’s multi-use sporting fields are under review after a local football club walked away from two grounds, citing potentially fatal safety concerns over covered concrete cricket pitches.
Bulli Junior Football Club raised the alarm about the danger of the field used by hundreds of their young players, with the club suspending full-field training and games at Bulli Park following a tragedy in Victoria at a similar ground.
“Following the recent death of an AFL player who struck a covered concrete cricket wicket in Victoria, Bulli Junior Football Club (BJFC) has immediately suspended all competitive football activities at Bulli Park to prevent a similar tragedy,” a BJFC spokesperson said in a social media post.
The death of 27-year-old Nathan Fitzgerald due to the incident at a multi-use field hit close to home for the local club, which has already seen terrifying near-misses on their own ground.
“This is not a theoretical risk for our community,” the BJFC spokesperson said.
“Earlier this year, video evidence captured a BJFC Under-16s player striking his head on the concrete cricket pitch at Bulli Park during a match.
“We were incredibly fortunate to avoid a catastrophic injury, but the warning is undeniable. We will no longer rely on luck.”
The club called on Wollongong Council to support the relocation of Bulli Park fixtures until the issue is resolved, reduce the risk of the covered concrete wickets to a demonstrably acceptable level and implement a permanent, long-term safety solution.
St James Park at Coledale is another field with a concrete pitch used by Coledale Waves Football Club.
The club said they were working with the council and Football South Coast (FSC) to understand the impact on their club and members.
“Player safety, for every player in every game, is our absolute priority,” a statement from Coledale Waves Football Club said.
“In our view, the only appropriate long-term solution is to relocate the cricket pitches to areas outside the football playing fields, allowing both sports to continue to thrive safely,” FSC CEO Amanda Marino said.
Wollongong City Council (WCC) has now commenced an immediate review of covered cricket wicket installations at its shared sporting grounds to determine next steps to address this problem and ensure player safety.
“We appreciate sporting groups, including Bulli Junior Football Club, raising these concerns with council, and we will continue to liaise with the club and Football South Coast regarding upcoming fixtures and arrangements for rescheduling or relocation of matches away from Bulli Park, as requested,” a WCC spokesperson said.
“Council-managed sports fields are shared community assets that support a range of sports including cricket, football (soccer), rugby league and Oztag, each with different facility and infrastructure needs.
“Given the finite number of sports fields available, co-locating sports on shared grounds helps balance the needs of multiple user groups to maximise community access and support participation across different seasons.
“We are committed to working collaboratively with clubs, associations, and governing bodies, including Football South Coast, to identify opportunities to improve facilities and address sport-specific needs to ensure our sporting grounds can be safely used and enjoyed by our community.”