The AFL has joined Carlton in supporting a “shattered” Elijah Hollands after the Blues utility suffered a mental health episode during a close loss to Collingwood.
Hollands initially ended Thursday night’s 13.10 (88) to 12.11 (83) defeat at the MCG without registering a statistic, despite playing 75% of the match across the first three quarters.
The 23-year-old was eventually awarded a possession by Champion Data in retrospect, an ineffective kick in the third term.
After failing to impact the match, Hollands was benched for most of the last quarter as Collingwood stormed home from 18 points down at the final break.
The AFL has been in contact with Carlton on Friday about how to best support Hollands, saying it was in ongoing discussions with the club.
The Blues released an update late on Friday, saying the club would “provide close and ongoing care” after Hollands suffered a mental health episode during the game.
“He is continuing to receive the appropriate level of medical and wellbeing support, with Hollands’ welfare remaining the number one priority,” the Carlton statement read.
“The club also remains in contact with the AFL and the AFLPA, given the complicated nature of what occurred on Thursday night.
“While the club acknowledges the public interest, it asks that Hollands’ privacy be respected, with the primary focus on ensuring he receives the level of care he needs, before a further update can be provided at an appropriate time.”
The AFL Players Association was concerned by how the situation evolved and has been in contact with the AFL and Hollands’ manager to better understand what happened.
Carlton coach Michael Voss and Blues midfielder Elijah Hollands. Photograph: James Wiltshire/AFL Photos/Getty Images
Carlton coach Michael Voss described Hollands as being “pretty shattered”.
“I spoke to him after the game and he was really disappointed with how he started,” Voss said on Thursday night. “He was really upset and feels like he’s let me down.
“He was pretty emotional after the game. He didn’t play a great game and he struggled to get his way into it.”
Voss said he was in “constant conversations” with Hollands during the match.
Several videos circulated online after the match appearing to show Hollands confused and exhibiting erratic behaviour.
“He was disappointed with how he was playing, so when it comes to the last quarter, you obviously have to work out what mix you’ve got with five minutes to go and what you want on the field,” Voss said.
“He wasn’t having a great night. We obviously thought the best mix was to not have him out there.
“He feels really disappointed with his performance. With the importance of the night, he feels like he’s let people down. But we just have to keep supporting people through those situations.”
Last year, Hollands twice took personal leave from Carlton, later revealing he had been battling mental ill-health and issues with alcohol.
The former Gold Coast player was delisted by the Blues at the end of last season, despite having a year to run on his contract.
But Hollands was invited to Carlton training over summer, impressing enough to win his spot back on the list.
He has played all six games this season, averaging 18.4 possessions before the concerning output against the Magpies.
Carlton slumped to 1-5, losing for a fourth time this year after having a sizeable lead during the second half.
In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978. In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393 and Childline on 0800 1111. In the US, call or text Mental Health America at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.