A Melbourne teacher who died following a horror head clash during an Australian football game has been remembered for the profound impact he left on his school community.

Nathan Fitzgerald, 27, was taken to the Royal Melbourne hospital after he fell to the ground and hit his head on a covered cricket pitch during an Australian rules football game in Lalor in Melbourne’s north on Saturday.

Tributes flowed for the young man since his death was confirmed on Monday night.

In a statement, Mernda Central College, where “Mr Fitz” taught maths and science, said he represented the very best of education.

“He cared deeply about young people, built strong and meaningful relationships and made those around him feel seen, supported and valued,” the school wrote in a social media post.

“This is an incredibly difficult and distressing time for Nathan’s family, friends, teammates, colleagues, students and all who love him.

“Nathan was deeply loved, valued and respected by all of us at Mernda Central P-12 College, and our entire community is holding him and his family in our thoughts.”

Students, families and staff have been invited to leave messages and tributes to the teacher through a memory box placed at the college.

A fundraiser set up for the Fitzgerald family has already raised more than $96,000 as members of the community made their grief known.

Support has been made available to those at the school, with the Victorian education department acknowledging the “extremely difficult time”.

“The Department of Education extends our condolences to the family, friends and colleagues on the death of Nathan Fitzgerald in such tragic circumstances,” a spokesperson said.

The 27-year-old had been playing for the Epping Football Netball Club when, during a tackle, he clashed heads with another player before receiving a second blow to the head “which could have been from a flailing boot or a knee”, the club’s president, Luke De Vincentis, told ABC radio on Monday.

The club has called for an investigation into playing football on cricket pitches converted into fields, noting there was a hard strip of surface in the middle of the ground where Fitzgerald fell and appeared to have hit his head again.

But the City of Whittlesea, which manages the reserve, said the ground had met the relevant safety standards.

Head knocks in football have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years as research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy shines a light on their consequences.