Elijah Hollands, a determined young player for the Carlton Blues, is focused on making a significant contribution to the team's goal of ending a 30-year premiership drought. After facing challenges off the field, Hollands has proven himself on the field, establishing himself as a key player and embracing a rigorous training regime. He discusses his development, his commitment to mental health, and the team's defensive strategy as they strive for success.
When Elijah Hollands crossed to Princes Park last summer, the former Sun knew he had work to do earning respect on and off the field. The Blues had taken a chance on the one-time No.7 draft pick, at a time when he was facing a court case for drug possession. Placed on a good behaviour bond, but having avoided a criminal conviction, Hollands was later given a two-match ban and a $5000 suspended fine by the AFL for a breach of its illicit drug policy.
Hollands, 22, and the older brother of fellow Blue Ollie, understood he had to get busy, and quickly impressed those at Carlton with his commitment and attitude. He went on to play 22 straight senior games. Making a mark: Elijah Hollands will have a key role to play this season in the Blues’ quest to end a 30-year premiership drought.“I just had to tap into the support around me, I guess, and the club, putting the trust in me to put my head down and my bum up is something that … was what I had to do last year,” Hollands said this week. “Nothing really changes. Just because I don’t have a ban hovering over my head this summer, it doesn’t mean I can take it easy. The work still definitely needs to keep continuing, you have got to earn the respect and your stripes every year because there are blokes coming for your spot every season. I feel like I was able to get the spot last year. Now, I have the boys trying to take it off me.” He said recognising his own mental health, whether that be dealing with football or life away from the game, had been important in his year of growth. A golf fanatic who loves nothing more than being out on the course with his two brothers and father Ben, a former Richmond player, Hollands is also beginning an online marketing course to keep busy.“It’s pretty well known that if you are happy and healthy off the field, it’s going to help your performance on it. We are almost educated on that daily,” Hollands said. “The mental side of the game is one that is heavily coached. There is a premium on it. We prioritise it heavily. We do a lot of work with the club psych, and also with the coaches on the mental side of the game.” A year on, Hollands has again completed pre-season with a rigid focus, hoping to “unleash” his best football after a season of establishing himself as a half-forward pushing into the midfield. Hollands loves his role, one that he flourished in as a junior – he can use his dash and craft to its full potential. Last year, he averaged almost 18 disposals per game and had 17 goals, confirming he was in the Blues’ best 23. “It’s the role I played as a kid and the reason why I came across. That was the role that was offered to me when I first came in contact with the footy club when I was still at the Suns. That was the one I was looking to get back into, anyway, and the club pitched that, and I was able to play that last year and grow again,” Hollands said. “I definitely feel like my best footy can be really good, so I am just working with the guys and coaches to be able to unleash that.“To come across and get back into the role that got me taken at seven in my draft year, to re-unlock that and flourish in the role, I think, is something that the club has allowed me to do.”There has been change for the Hollands brothers through the off-season. They lived together last year, Elijah joking at the club’s best and fairest that Ollie’s best dish was a “lasagne that wasn’t really a lasagne, it was just all mixed up in a pot, but it actually doesn’t taste too bad”. But they have now gone their separate ways, which Elijah said had always been the plan. Ollie, who has largely spent his two years at the club as a wingman, has trained as a rebounding half-back, a role he finished 2024 in. “Hopefully, my brother can play it well. Ollie has trained as a half-back this summer, looks really good. He is able to provide us with some run and carry,” Hollands said.“Billy Wilson, who is uncapped, is a second-year boy. He has put on some size, really fast, a good user, he is another one who has been training well. Nick Haynes has, obviously, come across from the Giants, so there are some good options. The back line at training is really strong,” Hollands said. Jack Silvagni has also emerged as a defensive option.Premiership blueprint There is a poster in the Blues’ gym that reads: “When our feet hit the grass WE DEFEND FIRST”. That’s the ethos the team has this season, Hollands also pointing to a key statistic the Blues have embraced as part of what they hope will end what is now a 30-year premiership drought. “We are just honing back in on what we do well. We feel like we let that slip a little bit, at times, last year,” Hollands said. “We had a mark where we knew if we conceded over 80 points, we lost more games than we won. If we conceded less than 80 points, we won all those game
AFL Carlton Blues Elijah Hollands Premiership Drought Mental Health Defence Half-Forward Footy
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