Australian rules-'Mental health episode' during game puts AFL player welfare in spotlight
By Ian Ransom MELBOURNE, April 21 (Reuters) - With doctors, physios, psychologists, analysts and strength and conditioning coaches, Australian Football League (AFL) clubs are as equipped as any of the world's top sporting franchises to support their players with a high quality of care. Yet an on-field "mental health episode" suffered by Carlton midfielder Elijah Hollands has exposed the limits of these support structures in the full glare of the public spotlight. In one of Australian rules football's most-anticipated match-ups, the 23-year-old struggled in front of a crowd of 78,058 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as the Blues lost a tight game to old rivals Collingwood last Thursday.
Hollands, who has spoken of his battles with mental health and alcohol problems in the past, appeared disorientated and confused at times, unable to engage normally with the play. Despite spending most of the match on field, he finished with only a single disposal -- the statistic denoting a kick or a hand-pass of the game's olive-shaped ball -- almost unheard of in a sport where midfielders rack up 20-plus per game. With millions watching the game on screens, the reaction to Hollands' performance was swift and scathing.
Fans and media pundits asked whether Carlton, one of the AFL's oldest and best-resourced clubs, had failed in their duty of care to a player who may have been unfit to play. Carlton said Hollands had suffered a mental health episode on field and confirmed late on Monday he had been admitted to hospital. Hollands' management agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
The club's CEO Graham Wright said officials were aware that he was struggling in the game but did not believe he was affected by alcohol or drugs. "Our guys were dealing with him in the game and obviously he was having some problems," Wright told reporters. Collingwood players also picked up on Hollands' behaviour during the match, defender Brayden Maynard said.
"I overheard a few things, but as I said, I was too focused on the game to really understand what was actually going on," he said. CONCERNING SYMPTOMS While Wright described Hollands' ordeal on Thursday as presenting "unprecedented and complex circumstances", the player has previously discussed suffering symptoms during a match. He told Melbourne newspaper The Age last October he had suffered a "mini panic attack" against the Sydney Swans earlier in the year, describing himself as being like a complete pedestrian, unable to do what he normally does well on field.