‘Duty of care’ and what it means to Elijah Hollands and professional sport

April 24, 2026 — 7:41pm

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In the days that have followed Carlton’s Elijah Hollands’ mental health episode during last Thursday’s match against Collingwood, three words have featured heavily in the discourse about the incident: duty of care.

What was the club’s duty of care to Hollands? Why do some believe the club abdicated that duty before Hollands went on the field and then continued to play? And critically, what are the legal implications for Carlton if they failed in delivering this duty of care?

Those three words are also floated in rival codes. They were common after rugby league player Eli Katoa was hospitalised following three separate head knocks before and during a game for Tonga last year, and were repeated this week when the Dragons parted ways with coach Shane Flanagan.

“As a club, as an employer, there is a duty of care, not just to the club, to its supporters, its fans, but a duty of care to our employees,” Dragons chair Andrew Lancaster said during a press conference announcing Flanagan’s departure.

But what is a duty of care, and what happens when clubs don’t fulfil these obligations?

‘Bordering on bullying’: Blues hand their report to AFL as Voss hits back at critics over Hollands matter

What does ‘duty of........

© Brisbane Times