Carlton great Sam Docherty has put his former club on blast for the way it has handled the Elijah Hollands mental health episode against Collingwood that has become the focus of an AFL investigation.
Hollands has been admitted to hospital days after the confronting on-field incident, as scrutiny intensifies on Carlton over its handling of the situation last week.
Carlton confirmed the 23-year-old’s hospitalisation in a statement, following what the club described as a ‘mental health episode’ during Thursday night’s match at the MCG.
‘The Carlton Football Club can confirm that Elijah Hollands has been admitted to hospital this evening,’ the club said.
‘While the club acknowledges the public’s interest, it again asks that the privacy of Elijah and his family be respected.
‘This request for privacy extends to the media to please not report or speculate on Hollands’ location and private health information.’
Elijah Hollands was hospitalised after a mental health episode during Carlton’s match against Collingwood
Sam Docherty said Hollands was ‘really let down’ and questioned why no one intervened once concerns became clear
AFL officials are monitoring Carlton’s internal review into how Hollands remained on the field despite visible signs of distress
The episode has triggered an AFL-wide review, with the league monitoring Carlton’s internal investigation into how Hollands was allowed to remain on the field despite visible signs something was wrong.
Chief executive Graham Wright confirmed the club had been aware of concerns during the game.
‘We’re dealing with a mental health issue … right at the moment,’ Wright said.
‘We’re in the process of going through all the circumstances leading up to the game, two or three weeks prior to the game.
‘Our primary focus remains on caring for Elijah, making sure he continues to receive the medical and wellbeing support he needs.
‘Elijah’s mental challenges have been well documented.
‘Our staff have been working alongside Elijah on this journey with him over a long period of time now, both on and off the field, providing every resource possible to ensure his welfare is paramount.
‘Thursday night presented unprecedented and complex circumstances. We’re taking this very seriously.’
Carlton is reviewing the actions of its doctor and psychologist as part of a detailed timeline investigation
It has since emerged Hollands had informed the club he was struggling with his mental health in the lead-up to the match, but expressed a desire to continue playing.
He has also voluntarily undergone drug testing and medical screenings in the aftermath, telling the club his behaviour was not linked to alcohol or illicit substances.
Carlton is now reviewing the actions of its medical staff, including head doctor Matt Chamberlain and psychologist Stephen Rendall, as part of a broader timeline of events being compiled for the AFL.
The incident has drawn strong criticism from across the football community, with questions raised about duty of care and whether intervention should have occurred during the match.
Former Carlton star Sam Docherty said he was struggling to understand how the situation unfolded.
‘I just feel like he’s been really let down by Carlton and the AFL more broadly,’ Docherty said on 3AW.
‘As a kid that has had his struggles, he’s been very open. He took time off football, not too far off this time last year.
‘I just look at some of the systems and stuff that should have been in the background around how to care for him and make sure this type of event didn’t come up.
The AFL is considering potential penalties as the investigation continues into Carlton’s response to Hollands’ medical episode
‘We’re treating it as the mental health episode at the moment. And just from that perspective, I just can’t fathom how he was out there for so long.
‘If you wrap it up in any form, of whether it’s Carlton or if it’s the AFL with the ARC, I don’t understand how someone hasn’t stepped in.
‘The moment when he said that, that we knew something wasn’t right, that’s the bit for me.
‘I was like, OK, so we’re actually outside the argument of did we know or didn’t we know, did we not know?
‘You knew something wasn’t right. Then you start asking questions. Why didn’t anyone actually do anything about it?
‘I think he’s a terrific kid and I know he’s going through his battles, but it’s hard to watch as an ex-teammate, let alone a media person.’
Other figures in the game have also questioned Carlton’s decision-making, with calls for accountability as the AFL weighs potential sanctions.
Former St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt said the situation represented a clear failure of responsibility.
‘This is a duty of care failure, plain and simple,’ he said.
‘Because players don’t self-select out. They just don’t do it.
‘It’s incumbent on the people around them … to do what’s in the long-term best interests of the player. They failed their basic responsibility here.’
Coach Michael Voss said after the game Hollands was ‘pretty shattered’ and ‘really disappointed,’ adding he had been ‘pretty emotional’ in the aftermath.
The AFL and AFL Players Association are awaiting the outcome of Carlton’s review
