AFL Doctors Association speaks out on Elijah Hollands affair
The AFL’s club doctors have defended the conduct and professionalism of Carlton’s medical team in the Elijah Hollands incident.
Dr Dan, who is the club doctor at Richmond and previously practiced in Geelong and Brisbane, and is also president of the AFL Doctors Association. David Long also urged media commentators to be careful when speculating about health issues arising from Hollands’ case.
He said the speculation did not help Hollands, who was hospitalized last week after suffering a mental health issue during a sixth-round match against Collingwood at the MCG 10 days ago.
The AFL is expected to ask Carlton further questions after the Blues handed over their account of what happened before and during the match, with Hollands having been assessed multiple times by club doctors and a club psychologist called in for an interview. The player remained on the field until the 20th minute of the last quarter and had only one disposal in the match.
In a statement from the AFLDA, Long said: “The physical and mental health of all players remains the highest priority of AFL club medical staff. While recognizing that internal and external reviews into the circumstances of Carlton’s sixth round match at the MCG are ongoing, the AFL Doctors Association wishes to reinforce its support for the integrity and quality of Carlton Football Club doctors and the wider multidisciplinary medical team.” he said.
“In light of ongoing commentary in the media, the AFL Doctors Association would ask people without expertise and full knowledge of the facts of the case to exercise caution when speculating on health matters.
“Obviously this is not helpful in addressing what we all agree is the urgent priority: the welfare of the player involved. This has the potential to compromise the players’ privacy and potentially their recovery. It is also important to recognize the personal toll such a situation can have on everyone involved, including medical staff, and we ask that this is taken into account when commenting.”
The doctors’ statement comes after Carlton coach Michael Voss gave strong support to Carlton staff regarding their interest in Hollands.
Under AFL rules, clubs can be fined $50,000 or more if they are found to have fielded a player who is unfit to play.
The 23-year-old player said that he had difficulty during the match and was voluntarily subjected to a drug test after the match. The result of the test was not made public.
Hollands’ younger brother Ollie, who was on the field against Collingwood, did not feature in Saturday night’s 14-point defeat against Fremantle at Optus Stadium, despite traveling to Perth with the team.
“It’s been a big week for everyone, a big week for the family,” Voss said.
“HE [Ollie] He wanted to play – he’s a complete competitor – but with the way the week was going we thought it would be better to sit out this week.
“It’s in a good location, but frankly we thought this was a better way.”
Uzun concluded the medical association’s statement by emphasizing the importance of investing in health services.
“We want to highlight the importance of clubs and the AFL continuing investment in healthcare across the AFL, AFLW, VFL and VFLW programs to ensure the highest level of care for players is maintained,” he said.
Jake Niall is a Walkley-winning sports journalist and The Age’s chief AFL writer.Connect with: X or email.
