Elijah Hollands has brought the curtain down on his AFL career after Carlton delisted the 24-year-old, saying his health and wellbeing must now take priority over the sport he has played since childhood.
Hollands shared a lengthy statement on Instagram after Carlton confirmed he was among seven players who would leave the club. He said he had spent considerable time trying to find the right words to describe the decision, but accepted that his football career had not unfolded as he once imagined.
“Football means an extreme amount to me,” Hollands wrote. “My dad played professional footy, my great-grandfather played professional footy, my brother plays professional footy — it is everything I have lived and breathed for as long as I can remember.”
He said playing AFL had been his only ambition from a young age, but added that he had come to understand there were “things in my life that are far more important than footy right now”.
Hollands has been away from Carlton since suffering a mental health episode during the Blues’ round-six match against Collingwood at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in April.
The incident prompted an investigation by the AFL, which later fined Carlton A$75,000 after concluding that Hollands should have been removed from the field earlier. The league said visual cues, his performance during the match and knowledge of his individual circumstances should have led to a quicker intervention.
Hollands was subsequently admitted to hospital, with Carlton repeatedly asking for privacy for the player and his family. The club said it remained in contact with the AFL and the AFL Players’ Association while continuing to provide medical and wellbeing support.
The AFL has since announced measures including a requirement for clubs to employ a full-time psychologist within their men’s and women’s programmes, as well as new guidance on assessing psychological fitness to play.
In his statement, Hollands said he was grateful to have shared the stage with his brother, Ollie, and to have played in front of a large crowd at the MCG alongside him.
“That is something very special to me,” he wrote. “I’ll be moving into the next chapter of my life, leaving what will feel like a big hole to fill, but I am excited about what can come from having my health and mind in much greater shape.”
Hollands also thanked the wider AFL community for supporting him while his challenges were played out publicly, saying he hoped similar backing would be offered to athletes and those around them when they were struggling.
“I can’t wait to be able to support the great friends I’ve made in footy, and Ollie, from the other side of the fence,” he added.
