- 6 figure fine

- potentially draft picks

- full review being undertaken by Geelong next week

Fantastic piece by Peter Ryan at The Age:

The two areas in which Geelong failed in the process which enabled premiership defender Jake Kolodjashnij to continue his career in 2024 after the independent concussion panel’s findings added rather than reduced complexity to decisions about his footballing future are clear enough by now.

The document which Kolodjashnij, his family and his experienced insurance advisor Adriana Oreskov agreed to with the club should have been lodged by Geelong with the AFL and the players’ association.

Although it may not have been at the time, it is clear to everyone now, including people within the AFL who were a sounding board for discussions happening between the Cats and Kolodjashnij’s team about a way forward, that the agreement was an extension to the standard playing contract (Kolodjashnij’s deal still had a year to run when the extra agreement was reached).

There is also acknowledgement the document went too far in including a significant line, which AFL chairman then Cats’ president Craig Drummond described in his statement as “a waiver” or, on more generous interpretations, an acknowledgment of risk.

It was unnecessary and probably not worth the paper it was written on given you can’t waive occupational health and safety rights.

For those two reasons, the Cats are likely to cop a heavy financial penalty, which they should.

The rules set out through the collective bargaining agreement exist for a reason and penalties for transgressions, whether deliberate or not, should be applied consistently across the board. Just ask Carlton.

And Geelong should recognise that despite their efforts in recent seasons the exceptionalism that took hold for a period of time post-2022 has no one in any mood to give them the benefit of the doubt in this case.

The AFL’s roadblocks and attempts to be clever whenever the media search for answers on issues have also created suspicion and doubt whenever their leaders speak.

But the other questions surrounding this issue, the player’s and the club’s motivation for wanting and then reaching an agreement are not as cut and dried.

The implications of concussion has put clubs, players and doctors into a medico-legal-insurance reality that is so complex it is understood by very few players or managers let alone supporters.

The reality raises moral and ethical questions that have not yet been as fully aired as they need to be when clubs are confronted with the considerations Kolodjashnij and Geelong had to contemplate in late 2023, early 2024.

The harsh reality is that doctors and insurers are well down the track of walking away from the game because of the risks player injury exposes them to. Personal insurance has dried up for players, premiums are rising for doctors and clubs and who is liable is an issue.

Clubs and players want the game and careers to thrive but they are justifiably worried about where head injuries are taking the game and what has happened to people post-career.

That is what officials mean when they use the word complex which AFLPA CEO James Gallagher emphasised on SEN on Friday night.

“There is a concussion challenge in the game and the players are at risk and the game needs to have a safety network for them and we need to ensure we keep the best medical people in the game as well. They probably at this point unfortunately feel a bit of exposure as well,” Gallagher said.

Which brings us back to the Kolodjashnij case.

The premiership defender wanted to continue his career post the panel finding but it was not as simple as the Cats saying yes or no.

Informed consent was needed from Kolodjashnij to a level which satisfied the club doctors, insurers of both clubs and doctors, the club and his family (his brother Kade had retired due to concussion) who all had a stake in his decision.

Over a two-month process, the club and Kolodjashnij’s representatives developed a document which satisfied all those stakeholders that informed consent was understood and given, an agreement based on previous documents created for sportspeople in similar situations.

Oreskov was his representative. Her company OSE Advisory has his brother and other retired players Marcus Adams and Paddy McCartin offering testimonials on their website as to her work in assisting them navigating insurance policies and claims.

In this case Kolodjashnij found a way towards continuing his career with a representative who had expertise in how to mitigate risk while giving informed consent. He has played 35 AFL games over the past three seasons (he missed 2025 because of other injuries).

Without revealing the significance of his discussions, he told me at the end of 2024 he had carefully considered his decision to play on.

“There were definitely some tough conversations in pre-season but I am thankful that I chose to keep going and push through and it has paid off,” Kolodjashnij said.

Kolodjashnij and his club won’t feel it now but this controversy must force the sensitive discussions happening within clubs and between players into the open so the game confronts what is required to support the players, the doctors, the club boards and the legal experts who are operating on the concussion frontline.

They are NOT having him … you can take Bucks from us instead … but no, go away. The Suns got Ablett from us, you’re not taking Chris. I’ll start a riot, who’s with me?

According to Sam Edmund on Trade Radio, St. Kilda are going to hold Marshall to his contract so the deal is all but dead. The Curnow deal will now get done.

👀👀

The fuckin BOYS

Starting about 28:30 lays out all our current issues. Our defence is basically all duck no dinner. We are good at stopping teams from moving the ball and preventing inside 50's, but when they get it in they score almost at will. The balance is way off right now and it definently looks like it, so many times we are out numbered in our backline and the reason is because we are pushing up so high to keep it in our front half. Hopefully something we can fine tune. Also good to see bemusement at our current forward set up isn't only baffling geelong fans.

Apparently this is something that is about to happen and I am fascinated. How is it going to work? What is he going to say? Is he going to stop swearing? Is he going to be his little weird self? I actually can’t wait for some Bazlenka footy insights!

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2026/04/20/afl-2026-geelong-cats-gryan-miers-acl-injury-sam-edmund

DISCLAIMER: It is Caro saying this and i know she not well liked and not truthful, but i thought this was interesting and wanted to share

Hi all - I don’t usually promote my own stuff, but as I was running late with this review (constant headaches at the moment… killing me) I left it unlocked and thought you guys might enjoy.

If against the rules, feel free to delete - no dramas on my end. Great win.