New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\nThe AFL Commission reviewed the findings and imposed Geelong a $100,000 fine, with a previously suspended $40,000 relating to a lodgement breach also being activated.<\/p>\n
The sum will be paid into the AFL and AFLPA Players\u2019 Injury and Support Fund.<\/p>\n
In a statement released on Thursday afternoon, the AFL said the review found \u201cGeelong did not intend to conceal the existence of the agreement or deceive the AFL or AFLPA\u201d.<\/p>\n
Geelong accepted the outcome, saying: \u201cThe Geelong Football Club acknowledges the interest this matter has generated and has great respect for the way Jake has conducted himself throughout this period, including in circumstances where his private medical information has been released without his consent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have welcomed the opportunity to participate in the independent review process led by James Peters AM KC and cooperated fully at every stage. The independent review has been conducted respectfully, thoroughly and transparently.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe club accepts the findings of the independent review and acknowledges the sanction handed down by the AFL Commission for a breach of AFL Rule 4.3(a) and Rule 28.3(c).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe club acknowledges it should have lodged the letter with the AFL and AFLPA and has taken accountability for the error publicly and throughout the independent review process.\u201d<\/p>\n
The AFL Players\u2019 Association CEO James Gallagher issued a statement on the matter, saying: \u201cThe AFLPA acknowledges the findings from the AFL\u2019s investigation that Geelong was in breach of AFL Rules by failing to lodge a letter signed by player Jake Kolodjashnij in February 2024.<\/p>\n
\u201cJake\u2019s wellbeing remains a priority for the AFLPA, and we continue to fully support him. Jake should never have been put in this position.<\/p>\n
\u201cHead trauma is the biggest issue facing the game and the health and safety of our members must be the priority at all times.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Collective Bargaining Agreement and Standard Playing Contract are critical documents that provide certainty and clarity to the industry about their responsibilities and protections.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believed the letter was inconsistent with those documents and was therefore in breach of AFL Rules, which the AFLPA communicated to the AFL and Geelong.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn recent weeks, the AFL and AFLPA reinforced that any variations to those agreements must be agreed by all parties and the AFLPA or they will be treated as ineffective and unenforceable.<\/p>\n
\u201cEqually, any arrangement that may affect protections connected to a player\u2019s health or safety in a way which is inconsistent with the relevant terms of the CBA will not be approved by the AFLPA and the AFL.\u201d<\/p>\n
The review deemed Steve Hocking\u2019s declaration that Kolodjashnij was not coerced into signing the document to be true.<\/p>\n
The AFL said its commission chair Craig Drummond \u2013 who was Geelong president at the time \u2013 \u201cwas not involved in the commission\u2019s consideration of the matter\u201d.<\/p>\n
Herald Sun chief football writer Jay Clark earlier this month broke the story that Geelong had failed to lodge a clause with the AFL and AFL Players\u2019 Association in the contract of an unnamed player, who had suffered multiple concussions.<\/p>\n
![\"'Could](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/a96cf116526a3dc5bf3064b002a71653.jpeg\")
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Kolodjashnij then publicly identified himself as the player involved, revealing the personal toll the situation had taken on him and his family.<\/p>\n
The AFL, subsequently, issued Geelong with a \u2018please explain\u2019 over the inclusion of the waiver in Kolodjashnij\u2019s 2024 contract following several concussions. <\/p>\n
Peters was asked to examine the Cats\u2019 reasonings and determine whether Geelong had breached any league rules.<\/p>\n
Cats chief executive Steve Hocking defended the club\u2019s handling of the situation, telling Geelong radio station K-Rock there was \u201cnot a lot\u201d the club would\u2019ve done differently if it had its time over. Hocking said the Cats felt the waiver was the only way Kolodjashnij could be allowed to sign a new contract at the end of 2024.<\/p>\n
Kolodjashnij stayed away from Geelong training and ruled out of AFL and VFL selection during the height of the concussion saga, but returned to training on Tuesday this week as the Cats\u2019 AFL and VFL teams both prepare for finals.<\/p>\n
Originally published as Geelong hit with $140,000 fine by the AFL over Jake Kolodjashnij concussion scandal<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The AFL has handed Geelong a significant financial sanction for its heavily-scrutinised concussion clause in premiership defender Jake…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":870654,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[439254,439243,438730,417990,438739,439245,439213,408160,423070,439241,72756,189157,439224,438698,425670,386351,392618,438694,376730,439218,379284,438718,420596,439256,439226,376769,376637,58003,638,439248,439222,439236,12258,318760,386610,407984,408099,439228,439269,439253,439216,25103,425673,439217,64,63,55,639,439265,12459,439258,402986,439232,13208,387841,385681,439262,377246,13658,438711,439212,439238,439227,31019,438704,439267,439229,384306,438717,438705,439264,439247,1910,439244,439252,438732,439234,62756,377208,418737,439214,439259,377169,439251,258147,38633,439242,439239,28313,439215,382528,37542,439223,439266,85,99691,438708,403701,379302,439230,438734,438751,439235,439240,438728,416839,419365,407830,439260,112480,439268,382205,439246,29023,439225,421192,391431,215379,417907,438747,394133,74713,439250,438727,439257,391887,379582,439263,438721,439221,376932,393129,439261,392595,376785,397550,380430,386766,439220,388231,439211,439219,400371,439231,288452,376533,376539,418730,214758,439255,439233,390244,410274,387722,439237,439249,9357,1542,28333,377211],"class_list":["post-870653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-herald-sun-chief-football-writer-jay-clark","tag-s-2024-contract","tag-s-consideration","tag-s-contract","tag-s-declaration","tag-s-handling","tag-s-health-or-safety","tag-s-investigation","tag-s-wellbeing","tag-439241","tag-72756","tag-000-fine","tag-2024-kolodjashnij","tag-a-100","tag-a-breach","tag-a-clause","tag-a-letter","tag-a-lodgement-breach","tag-a-lot","tag-a-new-contract","tag-a-player","tag-a-previously-suspended-40","tag-a-priority","tag-a-shake","tag-a-significant-financial-sanction","tag-a-statement","tag-a-way","tag-accountability","tag-afl","tag-afl-and-vfl-selection","tag-afl-hq-kolodjashnij","tag-afl-rule-4-3","tag-afl-rules","tag-afternoon","tag-all-parties","tag-all-times","tag-an-independent-investigation","tag-an-unnamed-player","tag-any-arrangement","tag-any-league-rules-cats-chief-executive-steve-hocking","tag-any-variations","tag-association","tag-association-ceo-james-gallagher","tag-association-watch","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-bombshell-punishment","tag-breach","tag-certainty-and-clarity","tag-circumstances","tag-critical-documents","tag-dillon","tag-earlier-this-month","tag-every-match","tag-every-stage","tag-february-2024","tag-geelong","tag-geelong-president","tag-geelong-radio-station-k-rock","tag-geelong-training","tag-great-respect","tag-head-trauma","tag-his-consent","tag-his-family-the-afl","tag-his-private-medical-information","tag-hocking","tag-injury-and-support-fund-in","tag-its-commission-chair-craig-drummond","tag-its-heavily-scrutinised-concussion-clause","tag-its-time","tag-jake","tag-jake-kolodjashnij-concussion-scandal","tag-james-peters-am-kc","tag-james-peters-kc","tag-just-1-the-afl-commission","tag-kayo","tag-kayo-sports-new","tag-kolodjashnij","tag-mick-warner","tag-multiple-concussions-andrew","tag-no-ad-breaks","tag-our-members","tag-peters","tag-play","tag-player-jake-kolodjashnij","tag-premiership-defender-jake-kolodjashnij","tag-protections","tag-reasonings","tag-recent-weeks","tag-response","tag-rule-28-3","tag-several-concussions","tag-sports","tag-steve-hocking","tag-sum","tag-the-2026-toyota-afl-finals-series","tag-the-afl","tag-the-afl-and-afl-players","tag-the-afl-and-aflpa","tag-the-afl-and-aflpa-players","tag-the-afl-and-geelong","tag-the-afl-commission","tag-the-afl-or-aflpa","tag-the-afl-players","tag-the-aflpa","tag-the-agreement","tag-the-biggest-issue","tag-the-cats","tag-the-cba","tag-the-club","tag-the-collective-bargaining-agreement-and-standard-playing-contract","tag-the-commission","tag-the-concussion-saga","tag-the-contract","tag-the-document","tag-the-end","tag-the-error","tag-the-existence","tag-the-findings","tag-the-game","tag-the-geelong-concussion-waiver-saga","tag-the-geelong-football-club","tag-the-grand-final-live","tag-the-health-and-safety","tag-the-height","tag-the-inclusion","tag-the-independent-review","tag-the-independent-review-process","tag-the-industry","tag-the-interest","tag-the-jake-kolodjashnij-concussion-scandal","tag-the-letter","tag-the-matter","tag-the-only-way","tag-the-opportunity","tag-the-outcome","tag-the-personal-toll","tag-the-player","tag-the-priority","tag-the-relevant-terms","tag-the-review","tag-the-sanction","tag-the-situation","tag-the-story","tag-the-time","tag-the-waiver","tag-the-way","tag-their-punishment","tag-their-responsibilities-and-protections","tag-this-matter","tag-this-period","tag-this-position","tag-those-agreements","tag-those-documents","tag-thursday","tag-training","tag-tuesday","tag-your-first-month"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\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