AFL news 2026: Geelong Cats player Jake Kolodjashnij stands down amid concussion waiver saga

Geelong player Jake Kolodjashnij won’t play this weekend after the concussion waiver saga that has rocked the AFL.

The club released a statement on Tuesday night confirming that the 31-year-old wouldn’t be available for selection in either AFL or VFL level.

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“The care and wellbeing of Jake remains the club’s priority, and the club will continue to support him and his family through this period,” a statement said.

It’s unclear whether the decision came from Geelong or Kolodjashnij.

It was revealed last week that the club signed off on a contract for the defender that waived their responsibility for any head concussion-related injuries suffered.

The waiver has since been removed from Kolodjashnij’s contract.

The news of Kolodjashnij being ruled out for this weekend comes after reports from The Age that revealed the AFL Commission have now engaged independent legal counsel to determine the outcome of Geelong’s concussion probe.

Kolodjashnij has played more than 200 games for the Cats and was part of their premiership-winning team four years ago.

With the scrutiny being directed towards the club last week, Kolodjashnij opted to come forward and confirm he was the player involved in the waiver.

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“I participated fully in the AFL’s independent concussion panel process, respected its independence, and was comfortable with the outcome. I have continued playing AFL football since,” the Cats veteran said.

“What disappoints me most is that my private medical information has been made public. Everyone deserves the right to keep their confidential information private.

“I want to thank my family, the AFLPA, my manager, my teammates and the football club for their support over the past 24 hours. I am healthy, feeling good, and focused on playing my role for the team for the remainder of the season.”

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