‘Wish we weren’t here’: AFL chief on ‘complex’ concussion saga that ex-Cats president says ‘went too far’

The AFL is still seeking answers from Geelong for the “very complex” Jake Kolodjashnij situation before it can reach conclusions including a potential sanction.

AFL chairman and ex-Geelong president Craig Drummond has apologised for the waiver agreement with Kolodjashnij that “went too far” in the handling of the Cats defender’s concussion issues.

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The Cats struck a secret agreement with Kolodjashnij two years ago to exonerate the club from all legal responsibility for future brain trauma after he faced a concussion panel.

Geelong has received a “please explain” from the AFL but the club is yet to receive a sanction from the league. In a joint statement with the players’ union, the AFL said the waiver had been removed.

Following a series a AFL Commission meetings that excluded Drummond, league CEO Andrew Dillon told SEN radio on Saturday that the league was still seeking clarity from the Cats as to why the waiver wasn’t lodged before it could act in any way.

“We had a Commission meeting Tuesday and Wednesday... Craig wasn’t part of the discussions this morning given his former role as the president of Geelong,” Dillon said.

“We’ve written to Geelong asking why the document wasn’t lodged with the AFL. We’re waiting to hear back from Geelong and we’ll hear back from them early in the week.”

Asked on a scope of a potential sanction, Dillon said: “There’s some (punishments) that have a maximum of $20,000, there’s other provisions that have sanction at large.

“But I don’t want to get into speculating where that might go until we hear back from Geelong formally.”

Dillon acknowledged Geelong’s “mistake in the process” but he also respected the club had since “owned” the issue.

“Look, I wish we weren’t here,” the AFL chief said.

“I think Geelong are owning it. Mistakes have been made but they’ve been owned. I think that’s also as important.”

It comes less than 12 months after Geelong was fined $77,500 following an audit into salary cap issues and third-party payments.

Asked by broadcaster Gerard Whateley if the Cats “skate close to the wind,” Dillon responded: “Look, I wouldn’t say that, but the proof will be in the pudding.

“When we go and audit clubs, you can pick up discrepancies in non-lodgments and things like that.

“Geelong is a club that’s been successful for a long time, they’re been well ran. But no one’s perfect.”

Reflecting on the AFL’s responsibility in all of this, Dillon ultimately wants the league to “be better” and “learn” despite a big focus on protecting players from injuries and stricter concussion protocols in recent years.

“If it’s continuing to refine the concussion panel ... the work we do in concussion and what our doctors do is world class and world leading. I don’t want that to get lost in all of this,” he said.

“We’ve got independent spotters in the ARC and independent doctors on game day. We’ve had coronial inquests that have given us recommendations and they’ve been implemented.

“We’ll continue to do more ... it’s extremely complex, these issues. They occupy a lot of my mind and thinking and the team’s.

“That’s why it is such a priority for us. Because our game at all levels doesn’t operate unless we’ve got people playing. It’s so important.”

Dillon hasn’t spoken to Kolodjashnij — only his manager — but he’s “opened the invitation to chat to him at any stage.”

It comes after Kolodjashnij said he was “comfortable” with the AFL concussion panel process and “continued playing,” despite its failure to deliver a verdict on whether he was fit to do so, thus handing the case back to Geelong.

“It’s not as binary as a traffic light and I’m not a doctor, so I won’t want to get into that,” Dillon said.

“But what we do have is absolute experts on that concussion panel. One of the learnings from this will be even more increased rigour in the way we work with players who go to that concussion panel.

“We’re not talking big numbers of players that go and see that panel, but there are players.”

Fronting media for the first time on Friday, Geelong chief executive Steve Hocking “took full responsibility” for the club’s “misstep” in the process he says took place over two months to come to the waiver deal.

Hocking wouldn’t weigh into the delicate nature of Drummond’s involvement, only saying he was “excellent” during his time at the club.

Drummond, who was Geelong’s president at the time the waiver was signed, apologised for “the mistakes made in this very complex situation” in a league statement.

Full statement from Craig Drumond

I was President of the Geelong Football Club in 2024.

This was an extremely complex and sensitive matter, and obligations to both the player and the club were very carefully considered by the Geelong board.

Jake’s welfare was central to all discussions and I have been thinking of him particularly over the past few days.

While the player was medically cleared to play, the club engaged in lengthy discussions including with him, his family, doctors, and insurers about his future and the potential risks of returning to play.

Regardless of the player’s agreement, the club went too far in adding a waiver into an informed consent document and it will be removed.

The waiver did not remove the player’s protections under statutory health and safety laws.

As the club has also acknowledged, there was also a process failure in relation to lodgement of the agreement with the AFL and the AFLPA.

I have not and will not be involved in any deliberation in relation to this matter and its assessment under the AFL rules and regulations.

I apologise for the mistakes made in this very complex situation.

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