Carlton player Elijah Hollands has been admitted to hospital.
The club released a short statement on Monday night confirming the news, which comes four days after his erratic performance in Thursday night’s loss to Collingwood.
“The Carlton Football Club can confirm that Elijah Hollands has been admitted to hospital this evening,“ Carlton said.
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“While the club acknowledges the public’s interest, it again asks that the privacy of Elijah and his family be respected.
“This request for privacy extends to the media to please not report or speculate on Hollands’ location and private health information.”
The Blues continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Hollands’ concerning and erratic performance at the MCG last week, which the AFL are closely monitoring.
Carlton said Hollands suffered from a “mental health episode” during the match, but have yet to explain how they allowed him to keep on playing.
Last year, Hollands twice took personal leave from Carlton, later revealing he had been battling mental ill-health and issues with alcohol.
Carlton CEO Graham Wright on Sunday ruled out alcohol or illicit substances being a factor in affecting Hollands during the match.
“We’re dealing with a mental health issue … right at the moment,” Wright said at Ikon Park on Sunday.
“We’re in the process of going through all the circumstances leading up to the game, two or three weeks prior to the game.
“Our primary focus remains on caring for Elijah, making sure he continues to receive the medical and wellbeing support he needs.
“Elijah’s mental challenges have been well documented.
“Our staff have been working alongside Elijah on this journey with him over a long period of time now, both on and off the field, providing every resource possible to ensure his welfare is paramount.
“Thursday night presented unprecedented and complex circumstances. We’re taking this very seriously.”
The Agenda Setters discussed the issue at length on Monday night, with the panel agreeing Carlton have “failed” Hollands.
Caroline Wilson said “it’s a dreadful mental health crisis that we saw unfold in prime time” and she has “never seen a club so seemingly abrogate its responsibilities as Carlton did.”
Craig Hutchison added: “What we haven’t heard is, whether we meant to or not, ‘we failed Elijah and we are sorry’.”
St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt said the club must be held accountable.
“This is a duty of care failure, plain and simple,” he said.
“Because players don’t self-select out. We know, we’ve been in footy clubs. Hamstrings, concussion, whatever it is, players scrap and claw to play.
“It’s incumbent on the people around them, we see it all the time, to do what’s in the long-term best interests of the player. They failed their basic responsibility here.”
More to come …
