CARLTON has been given a $75,000 fine over its handling of the Elijah Hollands situation, while the AFL will now make it mandatory for every club employ a full-time psychologist in the wake of the incident.

The League revealed its findings on Tuesday, saying there were "sufficient visual cues, performance data during the match and knowledge of the player's individual circumstance" to indicate that Hollands should have been removed from the field of play earlier than he was.

Hollands played for almost the entirety of the match, despite suffering from what Carlton later described as a 'mental health episode', before eventually being taken to the bench for the final time at the 20-minute mark of the last quarter.

The AFL confirmed that the findings were made against the Carlton Football Club collectively, rather than against any individuals at the Blues, with the $75,000 sanction to be donated to mental health charity headspace.

"There was sufficient visual cues, performance data during the match and an understanding of Elijah's individual circumstances to indicate that he should have been removed from play earlier than he was," Dillon said.

"We determined that the delay in removing Elijah from the field resulted in an outcome that brought the game into disrepute.

"The findings have been made against the Carlton Football Club collectively, not any individual."

Dillon was not drawn on whether the investigation found alcohol or drugs were involved, or whether Hollands was drug tested after the match, citing private medical information. 

In a statement, Carlton CEO Graham Wright acknowledged the AFL's finding while repeating the club's "unwavering support of its medical and wellbeing staff".

"Our support for Elijah comes from a place of genuine care and understanding of him and the challenges he has been experiencing," Wright said.

"Our club stands in unwavering support of its medical and wellbeing staff, who continue to conduct themselves with the highest level of professionalism, integrity, and genuine care for all our players and staff.

"We accept the outcome in the interest of enabling all parties to move forward, while continuing to ensure the health and wellbeing of our people remains a priority.

"While our process with the AFL is now concluded, throughout this time we have not lost sight of ensuring Elijah and his family continue to receive all the support and care they need. The messages of support our club has received on their behalf have been significant, and we thank everyone who has taken the time to do so.

"Elijah is taking the necessary time to prioritise his health and wellbeing right now and he will continue to do so with our full support."

Laura Kane, the AFL's EGM AFLW, Health and Football Operations, was not drawn on whether any of Hollands' teammates raised the alarm during the game, saying: "We won't speak to the specifics about what other players did or didn't say, but we'll acknowledge that there was a broad audience that observed those visual cues".

Hollands was hospitalised in the days after the game with Carlton, the AFL and the Players' Association opening an investigation into why the youngster played and what unfolded during the match.

"What transpired that night was something our game hasn't seen before," Dillon said.

"While Elijah underwent checks, he should not have been left on the field for that period of time.

"We want to acknowledge Elijah and his family. Our focus continues to be on Elijah’s wellbeing and ensuring he continues to receive the best possible care and support.

"This incident has highlighted that, while our physical injury protocols are well understood, mental health presentations are variable and complex, and therefore we will work to strengthen and standardise our approach to match day management of acute mental health episodes."

As part of the League's investigation into the Hollands incident, it will also:

• Mandate clubs appoint a full-time psychologist within each of the AFL and AFLW programs, with industry consultation on related resourcing and policy requirements to commence immediately.
• Review the club football department soft cap with a view to, amongst other things, increasing minimum investment in healthcare and strengthening expert capability.
• Establish industry-wide 'psychological fitness to play' best practice guidance, developed in consultation with club healthcare teams.
• Mandate expanded mental health literacy training across football departments.
• Establish an AFL health and wellbeing committee to advise the Executive and Commission on clinical governance and implement an industry-wide healthcare incident management system.
• Host a mental health media roundtable in partnership with the Black Dog Institute in the lead-up to Spud’s Game.

- with staff writers

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