A football club will host a memorial service for a young player who died from injuries during a match, while his grieving teammates will hang up their boots for a day of mourning.
Nathan Fitzgerald, 27, suffered head injuries while playing at Lalor Recreation Reserve, in Melbourne's north, on Saturday and died in hospital on Monday.
The Epping Football Netball Club on Wednesday extended an open invitation to a memorial service at Epping Recreational Reserve in Melbourne's northern suburbs on Saturday.
"The Epping Football Netball Club extends an invitation to anyone and everyone, far and wide, to commemorate our beautiful Fitzy, while paying tribute to all those who supported during last week's tragedy," the club said in a social media post.
"What better way to show all our love and respect by coming together as one big, loving, extended family."
The respected football player and high school teacher's family will attend the service after which the club's seniors team will play their scheduled match against Heidelberg West.
His number 32 jersey will be retired.
Mr Fitzgerald's grief-stricken teammates have backed out of a scheduled reserves match to spend the day mourning.
The 27-year-old's death has been met with an outpouring of support from the Australian rules community, including the sport's professional league.
All 18 AFL clubs will wear black armbands on the field this weekend, with a minute's silence held by Mr Fitzgerald's favourite side, the Richmond Tigers, at the MCG.
The league would also reach out to community leagues and clubs nationwide to encourage them to wear black armbands of their own, AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said.
"Nathan's passing has deeply saddened everyone in the football community. Our thoughts are with everyone who knew and loved him, and with the many people across local football who have been affected by this tragic loss," Mr Dillon said on Tuesday.
Mr Fitzgerald suffered critical head injuries on Saturday after knocking heads with a teammate while trying to make a tackle, players have recounted.
His head then clashed with a boot or a knee before he landed headfirst on a covered cricket pitch in the centre of the field.
Players and medical specialists from both teams provided first aid to the 27-year-old while awaiting emergency services.
His condition quickly deteriorated in hospital, and he was put into end-of-life care on Sunday with his life support turned off the following day.
Mernda Central College, where Mr Fitzgerald taught science and maths, has paid tribute to the "exceptional young man".
A GoFundMe page launched to support his family had raised more than $122,000 from nearly 2000 donations as of Wednesday morning.
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