Footballer dies after on-field incident in Fingal Bay
He suffered a critical head injury on Saturday afternoon
A man in his 20s has died after suffering a critical head injury during a football game on Saturday afternoon in Fingal Bay.
Westpac Rescue Hospital airlifted the man to John Hunter Hospital, where he later died of his injuries.
The Aberglasslyn Ants have not publicly named the player, releasing a statement via social media saying that “at this stage we are respecting the privacy of the player and his family.”
He has been remembered as “one of the kindest souls” after he died following an injury sustained during a match in NSW’s Hunter region.
A spokeswoman for NSW Rugby League said the organisation “expressed its deepest sympathy” to the player’s family amid the “incredibly traumatic” time.
The club posted a tribute to the player, who has not yet been named to allow privacy for his family, after news of his death emerged.
“As the sun was setting over Mckeachies Oval yesterday afternoon, we remember you. As we lay to rest our #8 jerseys for the remainder of the season in your honour, we remember you as a friend, a brother, a father and simply one of the kindest souls in our club,” the club said in a post on Facebook.
The player’s death came a week after players from nearby Australian Rules football club the Singleton Roosters were among 10 killed in a wedding bus crash.
The club’s president today spoke of the “unfathomable heartbreak” the community was feeling just over a week after the crash.
The Ants held a moment of silence for the victims of the crash at matches last week.
