- Elijah Hollands walked away from footy this year
- Carlton star was struggling with his mental health
- For confidential 24-hour support in Australia call Lifeline on 13 11 14
Footy star Elijah Hollands is confident he can be a force next season for Carlton – or a rival AFL club – following a life reset at a mental health retreat.
Hollands, 23, only featured in five games for the Blues this season, and rumours began swirling he was partying excessively.
In reality, the midfielder was struggling with his mental health, and he turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism when granted an indefinite leave of absence from the game due to personal matters.
After being admitted to a mental health retreat, Hollands spoke with experts about why he believed his life had taken a bad turn – and now has measures in place to stay on the right path.
‘It has been the best thing possible for me – I learnt so much,’ he told The Age.
‘I came out of that (retreat) being myself again, which was the main thing.
Elijah Hollands is confident he can be a force next season for Carlton or a rival AFL club following a life reset at a mental health retreat
Hollands (pictured, right) only featured in five games for the Blues this season, and rumours began swirling he was partying excessively
Hollands made his AFL debut with the Gold Coast Suns in 2022 before moving to Carlton
‘I feel fit, I feel strong and I’m ready to hopefully attack a pre-season.’
Whether that is with Carlton remains to be seen, with the club recently suggesting Hollands explore his options.
He isn’t bitter, as Hollands understands it is the nature of professional sport.
In November of 2023, Hollands was slapped with a two-game AFL ban after admitting to cocaine possession.
Hollands was found guilty of conduct unbecoming by the AFL after appearing in Southport Magistrates Court on a drug possession charge.
He was a Gold Coast listed player when his wallet was found at The Star casino.
Inside Hollands’ wallet was a bag of cocaine.
‘AFL players are well educated when it comes to the harms associated with the use of illicit substances,’ AFL general counsel Stephen Meade said once Hollands’ ban was handed down.
‘They have a responsibility to themselves, their clubs and careers to uphold community expectations.’
For confidential 24-hour support in Australia call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or via lifeline.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
