Carlton’s handling of Elijah Hollands has come under fire after disturbing pre-game vision raised concerns and prompted AFL greats to question why he played.
The 23-year-old managed just one disposal from limited game time in the five-point loss to Collingwood at the MCG, but it was his erratic behaviour before and during the match that raised concerns.
Broadcast footage captured Hollands during warm-ups misfiring badly with a routine set shot that barely travelled the distance, while additional vision showed unusual hand movements and behaviour as he made his way onto the ground.
Those moments, seen by a national audience, have become central to the fallout.
Kane Cornes led the criticism, questioning how the situation was allowed to unfold.
‘It’s the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen. Do Carlton understand the seriousness?’ the former Port Adelaide star and analyst asked.
Broadcast vision showed Hollands misfiring in warm-ups and making unusual movements, raising immediate concern
Hollands recorded just one disposal as concerns shifted from performance to his alarming behaviour before and during match
In-game vision showed Hollands struggling to engage, moving erratically as Collingwood overturned an 18-point deficit to win
‘Saying he had an off night, all of that, is that going to cut it? I don’t think it is,’ he said.
‘It’s alarming for me. There is a broader discussion to what led to him being out there.
‘Was this man fit to start? What gave you the confidence he was ok to play the game when all the vision speaks to the contrary.
‘It’s an unfortunate set of circumstances and one the club has to confront. What the club has done wont cut it.’
David King echoed those concerns, separating Hollands’ welfare from the football department’s responsibility and questioning why the issue went unchecked for so long.
‘Can we separate the two issues? We have to support the kid; he is clearly in a bad place,’ King said.
‘It’s time for them to wrap their arms around him. Mental health is front of mind everywhere and we have had tragedy this week.
‘From a football point of view, the responsibility of the line coach or head coach to see this problem in real time and the fact it was unchecked for three quarters alarms me.
Kane Cornes questioned Carlton’s decision, describing the situation as bizarre and asking why Hollands was deemed fit
David King said Hollands required support but criticised coaches for failing to act despite obvious warning signs
Hollands was monitored during the match, with reports confirming heart rate checks and poor sleep before the game
‘I don’t understand how so many people in the stadium can see he is not contributing to this game.
‘He was not assisting his team, he couldn’t get his hands on the footy, he was rattled, he was out of position, why did he play three quarters?
‘If Elijah had sat out at half time, use the bench rotations, find a way to subsidise losing that player. He offered nothing for three and a half quarters of footy. How does that happen? I don’t understand that from a line coach point of view.
‘I couldn’t stop watching him, you could tell something was off.’
The concern was not limited to commentary. Vision from during the match showed Hollands struggling to get involved, moving erratically and appearing out of sync as Collingwood stormed home from an 18-point deficit to win.
Initially finishing without a recorded statistic, he was later credited with a single disposal, an ineffective kick in the third term.
Behind the scenes, the situation was being closely monitored. Hollands’ heart rate was checked during the game, and he had reportedly struggled to sleep the night before. He was also said to be in a poor state after the match.
Carlton coach Michael Voss confirmed the emotional toll the night had taken.
Michael Voss said Hollands was shattered, emotional, and felt he had let teammates down after his difficult performance
‘He’s pretty shattered with his game,’ Voss said.
‘I spoke to him after the game and he was really disappointed with how he started the game, really upset, sort of feels like he’s let me down.
‘He was pretty emotional after the game.’
Voss said Hollands struggled to work his way into the contest and remained in regular communication with coaches throughout the match.
‘He didn’t play a great game and he struggled to get his way into it,’ he said.
‘He feels obviously clearly really disappointed with his performance, and obviously with the importance of the night, he feels like he’s let people down.
‘We’ve just got to keep supporting people through those situations.’
The club has maintained the episode was not related to illicit substances, instead pointing to complex mental health challenges as the cause of his struggles.
That context has only intensified scrutiny around the decision to play him, particularly given his well-documented battles in recent seasons.
Hollands took personal leave last year and later revealed he had been dealing with mental health and alcohol issues.
He was delisted before earning a lifeline through the supplemental selection period, working his way back onto the list and playing every game this season prior to Thursday night.
His form had been solid, averaging more than 18 disposals per match, making the dramatic drop-off all the more confronting.
