ELIJAH Hollands is at peace with the end of his Carlton career, saying he now realises there are more important things in life that he needs to focus on.
Hollands was one of seven players delisted by the Blues on Wednesday, months after he suffered an on-field mental health episode during a game in April.
Carlton was fined $75,000 for their handling of Hollands during the round-six loss to Collingwood.
The 24-year-old was hospitalised days later before making the decision to step away from football to concentrate on his mental health.
It meant Hollands wasn't able to add to his 47-game AFL career, 14 of which were played at Gold Coast.
His brother Oliver Hollands remains at Carlton.
>> SEE ELIJAH HOLLANDS' FULL STATEMENT BELOW
Elijah took to Instagram to share his thoughts about the end of his time at the Blues.
"I have only ever wanted to do one thing my entire life: copy what was done before me and play AFL footy. It was something that I just knew I was going to do when I was a kid and it was all I ever cared about," he wrote.
"And now, unfortunately, that purpose I had is no longer.
"I love this game, but I have come to realise that there are things in my life that are far more important than footy right now and they’re the things I will now prioritise."
Hollands thanked the greater AFL community for their support since his mental health challenges became public.
"As an extremely confident 18-year-old, I certainly envisioned my career going a whole lot differently, but I am OK with accepting that it just isn’t in the plans set for me," Hollands said.
"I'll be moving into the next chapter of my life, leaving what will feel like a big hole to fill, but I am excited about what can come from having my health and mind in much greater shape."
In May, the AFL fined Carlton $75,000 after Hollands played almost the entirety of the match against the Magpies, despite suffering from what the club later described as a 'mental health episode'.
The League said 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.
Full statement from Elijah Hollands
I have spent a long time trying to find the best way to deliver the emotions I've felt over this decision, but I don't think it will ever be perfect, so here's my best effort.
Football means an extreme amount to me. My dad played professional footy, my great-grandfather played professional footy, my brother plays professional footy — it is everything I have lived and breathed for as long as I can remember. I have only ever wanted to do one thing my entire life: copy what was done before me and play AFL footy. It was something that I just knew I was going to do when I was a kid, and it was all I ever cared about — and now, unfortunately, that purpose I had is no longer.
I love this game, but I have come to realise that there are things in my life that are far more important than footy right now, and they're the things I will now prioritise. As an extremely confident 18-year-old, I certainly envisioned my career going a whole lot differently, but I am okay with accepting that it just isn't in the plans set for me. I will cherish being able to share the stage with Ollie, and I am so grateful to say that I have done what so many dream of: playing in front of 90,000 people at the MCG with my own brother. That is something very special to me.
I'll be moving into the next chapter of my life, leaving what will feel like a big hole to fill, but I am excited about what can come from having my health and mind in much greater shape.
Lastly, I want to thank all the people who have supported me throughout my time in footy. With my challenges being so public, one thing I have noticed is that I have been backed by the greater AFL community, which I will be forever grateful for. I hope that kind of support can be shown more to both athletes and the people around each and every one of us.
I can't wait to be able to support the great friends I've made in footy, and Ollie, from the other side of the fence.
Thank you ❤️