- Sad development has come days after concerning footage aired
There are fears for the wellbeing of Geelong star Tyson Stengle after it was revealed he has broken off all ties with his management team and has hardly been in contact with the Cats.
The 27-year-old and his footy club have been in minimal contact since Gather Round and the AFL is ‘essentially not allowing him to play football’ due to fears for his health, it has been reported.
Stengle was granted personal leave from his training commitments at the club back in January.
But he is yet to play an AFL match in 2026, making his future a matter of concern despite the fact he’s contracted until the end of the 2029 season.
‘(His future) is not looking good at the moment,’ journalist Caroline Wilson told The Agenda Setters.
‘Geelong have only had sporadic contact with Tyson Stengle in recent weeks since he travelled to Adelaide at the start of Gather Round.’
The footy world is fearing for the future of Tyson Stengle (pictured) after news broke that he has cut all ties with his management team
Stengle (pictured) hasn’t played an AFL game all year, isn’t training and his contact with the Cats has only been intermittent
‘He’s cut off all ties with his management group.
‘He’s cut off all ties with Indigenous leaders, and very few people at Geelong have any contact with him at all.
‘The sad thing about this is that some weeks ago, Geelong were keen to play Tyson … there was hope about four weeks ago that he might come back and play VFL.
‘But I gather this was thwarted under the AFL’s rules [around mental health].’
Stengle’s hefty price tag has left the club in a tough predicament.
‘He’s contracted to the end of 2029 on roughly about $750,000 a year,’ Channel 7 reporter Tom Morris added.
‘(The AFL are) essentially not allowing Stengle to play football … because of the medical model they have.
‘His career’s at the crossroads because he’s not playing, there’s no real indication as to when he’s going to play again and he … isn’t talking to people closest around him.’
The 27-year-old (pictured) has struggled this season with off-field issues
The development comes as Carlton Blues player Elijah Hollands (pictured) remains in the spotlight over his mental health after scary scenes last Thursday night
Stengle was rushed to hospital back in 2024 after being found unresponsive at a popular Geelong nightclub.
His dramas have resurfaced just days after the footy world was left stunned following scary footage of Elijah Hollands demonstrating unusual behaviour on the field last Thursday night.
The Carlton star has been admitted to hospital after suffering what his club described as ‘a mental health episode’ in a game against Collingwood.
Hollands and Stengle aren’t the only notable players enduring off-field challenges.
Collingwood player Bobby Hill is trying to break back into first grade after taking personal leave from the game in the middle of last year following a relationship breakdown.
His timeline back to the pinnacle of the game is unclear.
But Collingwood coach Craig McRae remains hopeful he will integrate back into training at some point this season.
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