The AFL whacked Carlton over Elijah Hollands. But these questions remain unanswered

May 6, 2026 — 12:15pm

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The Elijah Hollands episode has graduated to the unofficial status of an AFL saga, given that the imbroglio ended with the AFL whacking Carlton with the catch-all of “bringing the game into disrepute”.

Bringing the game into disrepute is one of the AFL’s most ingenious inventions, since it allows head office to punish anyone – players, coaches, presidents, clubs – without necessarily proving that a specific rule has been broken.

It’s a way of saying, we can’t pin you for breaking our rules, but you’ve damaged the game, and we can’t let you go unpunished. “Disrepute” is a wide canvas on which to damn those who’ve fouled the footy nest.

And this is where the AFL landed with Carlton. They were adamant – as most were – that Hollands should not have remained on the field for as long as he did. They deemed it unacceptable and a failing.

‘I hope he plays again’: Dillon’s heartfelt words for Hollands after Carlton fined $75,000 for bringing the game into disrepute

The problem was that the AFL couldn’t nail the Blues for the rule that applied in the Hollands case, the one that said clubs were liable and could be fined for leaving a medically unfit player on the field.

The punishment of a $75,000 fine – donated to headspace, the league’s mental health partner, to provide a philanthropic sheen – contained two major motives.........

© Brisbane Times