There have been renewed calls for the government to install defibrillators in all Victorian sports clubs following a number of fatal heart attacks at local sporting events last year.

In 2011, there were three deaths on local sports fields due to cardiac arrest, yet had there been access to a heart defibrillator for these young sportsmen, the outcome may have been different.

Footballers of all ages are at risk of cardiac arrest whilst on the field

Statistics show that about 30,000 Australians die of sudden cardiac arrest each year, often without any signs or symptoms prior to collapse.

Murrumbeena Football Club senior coach Peter O’Dea believes that the Glen Eira Council should contribute funds to make defibrillators more affordable for the sporting clubs in the area. At approximately $2400-2500 per machine, the cost of a unit is an expensive investment in the budget of a small footy club.

“We considered purchasing a defibrillator last year but the cost was beyond what we could afford,” O’Dea said.

“If the local or even state government could chip in to make it more affordable, I’m sure that most clubs would purchase them”.

A heart defibrillator at the Glen Eira Council chambers

Glen Eira City Council Manager for Recreation Linda Smith was unavailable for comment however a spokesman for the council ensured that there were defibrillators installed in public spaces around Glen Eira, despite a failure to install units at sports clubs such as the Murumbeena Football Club.

“We have one here [Glen Eira Council chambers], we have one at our parks and gardens depot, we have one at our works depot and we have one at our swimming pools,” he said.

“I thought there was a program going around.”

Due to the alarming number of sporting clubs without access to a defibrillator, St John Ambulance launched it’s Heart Start campaign this month whereby they will donate 100 units to grassroots sporting clubs before the start of the 2012 winter sports season.

O’Dea said the Murumbeena Football Club would apply for a unit and hoped they would be successful. He believes sporting clubs are reluctant to purchase the units themselves given the fact that they are likely to remain unused for years.

“As a coach, the more equipment and expertise provided to help the welfare of players is a huge bonus, all sporting clubs have a risk versus reward policy when it comes to money … unfortunately expensive items you hope will never be used are often given very low priority“.

“I suppose it’s like an insurance … the money gets paid [for the defibrillator] but you hope you never have to use it”.
This map highlights where deaths have occurred on local football grounds since 2009 due to cardiac arrest.

For every one minute that elapses following cardiac arrest there is a ten per cent less chance of survival and after ten minutes the chance of survival is very slim. Given the average ambulance response time is over ten minutes, the effects of early defibrillation are, in most cases, lifesaving.