Carlton coach Michael Voss says Elijah Hollands is “pretty shattered” and “emotional” about his performance against Collingwood on Thursday night.
Hollands tallied only one disposal from 60 per cent of game time and was benched late in the match, won by the Magpies 13.10 (88) to 12.11 (83).
Video is circulating on social media of Hollands appearing to act unusually during the game at the MCG.
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The 23-year-old seemed to be somewhat jittery and perhaps unfocused at various points, and his erratic movement drew commentary from fans watching live.
Neither the club nor Hollands himself have addressed the online commentary about his on-field behaviour, although Voss said Hollands was “pretty shattered with his game”.
“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,” Voss said.
“I had a good chat with him so he was pretty emotional after the game.
“Didn’t play a great game and he struggled to get his way into it.
Elijah Hollands in action against Collingwood. AFL Photos via Getty Images
“He was clearly really disappointed in his performance and obviously really important to the night.
“He sort of feels like he’s let people down but we’ve got to keep supporting people through those situations.”
Hollands began his AFL career on the Gold Coast, where he landed via pick seven in the 2020 draft.
He has played 33 games with Carlton since being traded to the Blues after the 2023 season.
“He was clearly disappointed with himself and he was disappointed with how he was playing,” Voss said.
“When it comes to the last quarter, you’ve obviously got to work out what mix you’ve got with five minutes to go about what you want on the field, and he wasn’t having a great night.
“Constant conversations with him, and we obviously thought the best mix was to not have him out there.”