MELBOURNE, April 21 (Reuters) – With doctors, physiotherapists, psychologists, analysts and strength and conditioning coaches, Australian Football League (AFL) clubs are as equipped as any of the world’s major sporting franchises to support their players with high-quality care.
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However, an on-field “mental health episode” suffered by Carlton midfielder Elijah Hollands has exposed the limits of these support structures to the spotlight.
In one of Australian football’s most anticipated clashes, the 23-year-old struggled in front of a crowd of 78,058 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as the Blues lost a close match to old rivals Collingwood last Thursday.
Hollands, who has spoken of his battles with mental health and alcohol problems in the past, appeared disoriented and confused at times, unable to participate normally in the play.
Despite spending most of the game on the field, he finished with just one disposal (the statistic that denotes a kick or hand pass from the game’s olive-shaped ball), something almost unheard of in a sport where midfielders rack up more than 20 per game.
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With millions of people watching the match on screens, the reaction to Hollands’ performance was swift and scathing.
Fans and media pundits questioned whether Carlton, one of the AFL’s oldest and best-resourced clubs, had breached its duty of care to a player who may not have been fit to play.
Carlton said Hollands had suffered a mental health episode on the pitch and confirmed on Monday night that he had been admitted to hospital.
Hollands’ management agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
The club’s chief executive, Graham Wright, said officials were aware he was having problems in the game but did not believe he was affected by alcohol or drugs.
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“Our guys were dealing with him in the game and he was obviously having some issues,” Wright told reporters.
Collingwood players also became aware of Hollands’ behavior during the match, defender Brayden Maynard said.
“I heard some things, but like I said, I was too focused on the game to really understand what was going on,” he said.
ABOUT THE SYMPTOMS
While Wright described Hollands’ ordeal on Thursday as “complex and unprecedented circumstances”, the player has previously spoken of suffering symptoms during a match.
Last October he told Melbourne newspaper The Age that he had suffered a “mini panic attack” against the Sydney Swans earlier in the year, describing himself as a complete pedestrian, unable to do what he normally does well on the field.
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“I went to the bank and told our psychologist that I couldn’t breathe, that I couldn’t calm down and that my head was spinning,” he said.
“It was quite a worrying time because football had been a place I could go and all those (negative) thoughts I had outside the club would just disappear.
“So it was really challenging to have that for the first time, where it really showed up.”
Unlike in-game hits to the head, where detailed concussion protocols are activated and players are quickly removed from games if their safety is at risk, there are no official barriers to handling mental health incidents on the field.
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The Hollands episode has led other clubs to review their practices.
Melbourne Demons captain Max Gawn said he would speak to team leaders and ask them what they would do in a similar situation.
“But you have to remember how difficult it is to call live,” Gawn said.
The AFL let Carlton review whether Hollands was fit to play but asked the club to share its findings. Carlton could face a fine of A$50,000 ($35,850) if he is found to have played Hollands when he was unfit, according to AFL rules.
Hollands’ father posted a message of support on social media.
“I know who my son is and I will lift him up until he is fully recovered,” she wrote.
($1 = 1.3945 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)