AFL: On First Crack, the panel debat what punishment the Carlton Blues should receive after playing Elijah Hollands during a mental health episode.
Herald Sun chief football reporter Jay Clark believes it would be a massive shock if Carlton goes unpunished for its handling of Elijah Hollands’ mental health episode, declaring it a “line in the sand moment” for the AFL.
But while stunned by the Blues’ lack of in-game action, dual premiership Kangaroo David King believes it’s a one-off, club-related issue that doesn’t require sweeping, AFL-led changes. Watch every match of every round of the AFL Premiership Season LIVE and ad-break free during play on FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports |WHAT'S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.with just one disposal from 60 per cent game time, crowd footage of him behaving in an unusual way on the field circulated on social media.The Blues are undergoing their review of the handling of Hollands’ situation, which will then be passed onto the AFL. Clark reported the Blues would hope to have their probe completed by this week. “From everything we can tell so far, it would be a big surprise for me if the Blues go unpunished over this whole Elijah Hollands mess,” Clark told“The AFL has a Conduct Unbecoming rule for exactly this kind of issue. Whichever way you cut this up, it was dangerous and unsafe for Elijah Hollands to be playing three and a half quarters at the MCG on Thursday night. People in Row 24 on the top deck of the MCG could tell that, not just in game, but before the game had even started. “This is a line in the sand moment for the AFL at the moment. Not only is it a chance to create some pre-game protocols – we don’t even have that at the moment, players come in with their boots, grab the ball and go out for a warm-up, there is no formal process or wellbeing check in or anything like that. So not only a chance to create that, but Laura Kane is the boss of health in the AFL now, this is a big opportunity and I think the league would come under massive pressure if they turned away and let the Blues go unpunished.” Clark, for context, pointed to examples of other Conduct Unbecoming sanctions, including a $20,000 fine for Port Adelaide after ex-coach Ken Hinkley’s infamous post-final interaction with ex-Hawk Jack Ginnivan in 2024, as well as the $5000 fines Giants leaders like Toby Greene copped after the club’s Mad Monday dress-up event the same year. “It’s a fine-happy league, the AFL … and the AFL has taken a strong stand on that. So if Ken Hinkley gets a $20,000 fine, what does Carlton get for its negligence and breach of duty and care in sending a player out onto the field for the whole game during a mental health episode? Because I would argue, strongly, that it needs to be more than that … 20, 30, 40, 50 grand.“This is a moment in time, like when we had the Melbourne tanking saga, we had West Coast and the whole drug scandal where the AFL took strong stances there. I think this is a situation where the AFL needs to make it really clear that the whole league needs to get better in this space – and it starts with a very strong fine for the Carlton Football Club.” Clark said if commentators and fans could notice Hollands’ behaviour from the grandstand yet he still remained out on the field, the Blues had to be sanctioned. “If you can tell that from the commentary box, then surely with all the coaches, the medicos, the player development staff, Carlton has dropped the ball here, quite clearly,” he said. “The game clearly has a responsibility to face that and to be serious about it – because if we’re going to fine blokes for dress-ups and for plane jibes, we can’t walk away from this. “What would it take the AFL to tick this off as ‘appropriate’? Nothing. There is nothing for them where they could possibly say ‘yeah, you’ve handled this appropriately’. They’ve handled it inappropriately. “So now it depends on what the punishment’s going to be and how we’re going to rework and rewire these frameworks.” Clark said the increased focus on mental health and player wellbeing meant the AFL had to introduce something to “guard against” another Hollands-like situation.AFL put Blues 'on the hook' for Hollands | 00:43 “This is a one-off, though, isn’t it? Do we need to bring in all these protocols for something that we really have never seen before?” King asked on“They’ve got to run their own business. At the end of the day, you can’t hold everyone’s hand through life, right? If Carlton don’t pick this up in the pre-game, isn’t that on them? “They had 50 people there that could have gone to the coach and said: ‘Listen, I don’t think he’s right today.’”“I’m probably more in line with those gameday coaches that have dealt with this person pre-game, in-game and watch the game – what are they watching?” he asked. “What are they seeing for this player to help them win this game of footy when he hasn’t touched it for 70 minutes, he’s not helping you defensively, he’s not helping you with any of your structures. What are the midfield coaches watching that says ‘yeah this is a good idea to leave him out there’? They’re the ones in the gun for me. “Your job is to help your football club win that game of football. There’s no way he was helping them – regardless if you’re in that state, in that form – win that game of football. “We’re not here to jump to conclusions, but in terms of absolute performance gameday with your coaches, that’s a big fail.”“The line coaches’ job is to watch their area and say: ‘Right, what are the guys doing? How are they helping our team?’ Surely someone goes: ‘Hey, Elijah hasn’t touched it, anyone watching what Elijah’s doing?’ Because essentially, Michael Voss was playing with 17 men on the field for 70 per cent of the game, because Elijah Hollands was not helping that team at all. That probably, in the end, cost them a win,” Montagna told“I think the coaches are the ones that also need to take responsibility … in-game how they allowed him to play that many minutes.”
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