Carlton Waits for Hollands Report Decision

Carlton Awaits AFL Response on Elijah Hollands’ Mental Health Episode

Carlton’s head coach, Michael Voss, has called for patience as the club waits for a response from the Australian Football League (AFL) regarding their report on Elijah Hollands’ mental health episode and the club’s handling of the situation. The Blues are currently in a holding pattern after submitting their report to the league following a concerning performance by Hollands during the April 16 loss to Collingwood.

Voss emphasized that the report is under consideration by the AFL, and he does not have a timeline for when a response might come. “The submission is there and obviously that’s being considered by the AFL, so we’ll leave it at that for now,” he said on Friday. “I actually couldn’t tell you the timeline. Again, the speed’s not the thing we’re after here. It might take a little bit of patience and if that’s what it takes then we’ll take the time that’s needed.”

Hollands was admitted to the hospital in the days following the Collingwood match, during which he managed only one disposal. His performance sparked widespread discussion about how the 24-year-old was allowed to stay on the field for so long. Voss later claimed that Carlton were being “bullied” and defended the club’s management of Hollands on game-day. However, on Friday, Voss did not provide a specific update on Hollands’ condition and instead focused on the upcoming clash with St Kilda at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.

“The week’s been about getting back into the normal flow of a week and that’s what we’ve tried to do,” Voss said. “But in the background there’s that continual support that we need to continue to provide. We’re eyes locked forward but obviously still continuing to provide that support where we need to.”

Team Selection and Key Players

Hollands’ brother, Ollie, is one of four inclusions for Carlton against St Kilda, after he was a late withdrawal from last week’s loss to Fremantle. Experienced players Harry McKay, Marc Pittonet, and Adam Saad also return for the Blues, but there is still no room for out-of-favour midfielder George Hewett.

Pittonet will face a familiar foe in the ruck with a spotlight on opponent Tom De Koning and fellow former Carlton star Jack Silvagni. Both De Koning and Silvagni accepted big-money offers and exercised free agency rights when they defected to St Kilda over the off-season. It will be the pair’s first clash with their former side, while fellow ex-Blues Liam Stocker and Jack Carroll are also in the Saints line-up.

“I’m not going to pretend that there probably hasn’t been a little bit of banter that’s been exchanged,” Voss said. “For whatever it’s worth, we walk out as competitors and put the friendship aside. Our boys have got jobs to do for our team and clearly they’re going to be locked in to what they need to be able to get done. But, yeah, maybe turn the microphones up because there might be a little bit of banter between the two at the moment.”