Carlton Coach Michael Voss Addresses Ollie Hollands’ Withdrawal
Carlton coach Michael Voss has spoken about the decision to withdraw Ollie Hollands from Saturday night’s match against Fremantle, which ended in a 14-point loss. Voss said it was the right choice after a challenging week for the player and his family.
The Blues were under the spotlight following an incident involving Elijah Hollands, Ollie’s older brother, during a previous game against Collingwood. In that match, Elijah experienced a mental health episode, leading to significant attention from both the AFL and Victorian workplace safety watchdog WorkSafe.
It is still unclear whether Carlton will face any consequences for allowing Elijah to play despite showing unusual behavior before and during the game. Ollie had planned to face Fremantle in Perth but was withdrawn just hours before the match, despite his desire to play.
Voss explained his decision after the 16.7 (103) to 13.11 (89) loss, which left Carlton with a 1-6 record this season.
“It’s been a big week for everyone, and a big week for the family,” Voss said. “He wanted to play. He’s an absolute competitor, and we just sort of felt like with how the week’s played out, it’d be better to maybe sit this one out.
“He’s in a good space. But we sort of obviously felt like it was probably the better way to go.”
Voss expects Ollie Hollands to return for next Saturday’s game against St Kilda, believing the trip to Perth provided him with support from the Carlton community.
However, there is still no clear timeline for Elijah Hollands’ return. Last year, he took two periods of personal leave from the club, later disclosing that he had been dealing with mental health challenges and alcohol-related issues.
Voss and the team have faced criticism following Elijah’s performance against Collingwood, and the trip to Perth offered a much-needed break.
“We’ve tried to really enjoy each other’s company,” Voss said. “We’ve tried to put some humour into the back end of the week, and keep it pretty light rather than dark.”
Despite the loss, the Blues showed resilience against Fremantle. They nearly overtook the lead in the third quarter and managed to reduce the final margin significantly by kicking five of the last six goals of the match.
Voss believes the game was an important step forward for the team.
“If we sort of just step back from this game as well, and we think about what’s transpired throughout the week, this was a really important game for us to get a response,” Voss said.
“At the end of the day, when we walk on that grass, how we conduct ourselves is very, very important. And every time we were challenged, we responded.”
Key Players and Fitness Updates
Spearhead Harry McKay, who suffered a concussion, is expected to return for the upcoming match against St Kilda. However, ruckman Marc Pittonet, who injured his hand, faces a race against time to prove his fitness ahead of the game.
