Collingwood Defender Acknowledges ‘Some Talk’ on the Field Regarding Elijah Hollands’ Worrying Conduct

Collingwood defender Brayden Maynard has acknowledged that there was some “chatter” on the field regarding Elijah Hollands’ actions during their encounter with Carlton last Thursday night.

Maynard did not directly contest Hollands during the match, even though the latter started as a forward.

However, that did not prevent the Pies star from picking up comments about his opponent.

“I wasn’t entirely aware of what was transpiring, but I did hear some chatter. I didn’t really focus on it at all, and if I had, I certainly would have spoken up,” he stated in an interview with The Age.

“I caught a few remarks, but as I said, my focus was entirely on the game. He was nearby, and there were discussions about it, but my priority was playing the match. Had I noticed anything unusual with Elijah, I would have said something, but I was too focused on the contest. I also understand why this has become such a significant discussion point.”

“But I don’t believe it’s a conversation we need to have. I think Carlton is approaching the situation responsibly, with the appropriate people in charge to manage it, so I have no further comments to make on that.”

Maynard also mentioned that he would have taken action had it been one of his teammates behaving similarly to Hollands.

“Truthfully, if I had seen one of my teammates behaving in the manner that Elijah was, I would certainly have expressed my concerns and flagged it to the management,” he stated.

“However, as I mentioned, it’s up to Carlton to address their player’s actions. Everyone is doing their utmost to ensure he receives support, which is crucial to safeguarding his mental health.”

As a consequence of the incident, Carlton now faces the prospect of a significant sanction from the AFL for allowing Hollands to participate in the match under the circumstances.

Reports from Collingwood players suggest that the Blues forward confessed to having consumed alcohol and that they detected the smell of alcohol on his breath. Conversely, Carlton’s CEO Graham Wright has dismissed these claims, attributing the behaviour to a mental health episode.

Footage captured from the stands during the warm-up showed Hollands struggling with practice kicks and displaying odd conduct throughout the game.