'No alarm bells'? Questions Carlton must answer after game hijacked by player's 'sad and disturbing' performance

Carlton has been widely criticised for allowing forward Elijah Hollands to play in their loss to Collingwood on Thursday night, as "disturbing" vision of the player continues to emerge.

While the Blues have clearly worked to get to the bottom of Hollands' bizarre performance, there remains significant gaps in the story. First and foremost: how was Hollands allowed to take the field in the first place and why wasn't he benched far earlier once he was?

The 23-year-old's behaviour was erratic throughout the night, with fans capturing footage of him struggling to kick the ball in the warm-up, and behaving strangely throughout the match.

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He had just one disposal for the game, a smothered kick in the third term, and was benched late in the fourth quarter, with coach Michael Voss saying Hollands was "emotional" and "shattered" with his performance after the game.

Reports out of the club have since emerged, with Carlton of the belief that the forward had a mental health episode on Thursday and that his issues were not substance or alcohol abuse related.

Hollands revealed after the 2025 season that he had suffered a panic attack during a game earlier in the year and that he was battling anxiety, mental health and alcohol related troubles.

The SEN report also states the club saw no "alarm bells" to suggest Hollands was in an unfit state to play in the lead-up to the game.

This is despite pre-game footage taken by fans showing the forward struggling to kick the footy anywhere near the goal posts in the warm-up.

A Fox Footy report after the game said Hollands informed Collingwood players during the match that he wasn't feeling 100 per cent.

Hollands was stat-less to half time, but still played full game time in the third quarter.

He was ultimately benched in the fourth quarter, as his struggles continued late into the game.

Confusion remains as to how Carlton did not notice something was off about Hollands earlier. As ABC Sport reporter Daniel Garb pointed out on social media, the player would have reported to a line coach responsible for a handful of players before and during the game.

Former Collingwood star Josh Fraser currently serves as the club's forward line coach.

The Blues are yet to formally release a statement on the situation, while the AFL has said they are looking into what occurred and why.

Coach Michael Voss said in his post-match press conference that Hollands was "pretty emotional" after the loss, feeling like he had let the team down.

But questions have to be raised of Voss and his coaching staff. If they believe this was a mental health episode, as they have reportedly concluded, they've somehow taken three and a half quarters to take action on it, despite the player having a history of panic attacks in games.

If it was another panic attack, then all that matters is ensuring Hollands' wellbeing. It's unfortunate that it wasn't discussed or picked up on before the game, in order to avoid what has become an ugly situation.

It was only last week that Hollands stated he was "really enjoying" playing footy again and felt he had found his footing, after his issues in 2025.

And he had started the season in the best form of his career, earning AFL Coaches Association Award votes in rounds three and four.

"I feel like I'm starting to find my feet now, which is nice… I'm really enjoying being back playing," Hollands told the Carlton website before the Collingwood game.

"It'll take time. I used the bye to reset after the first two games. Thanks to the freedom the coaches have been able to give me, I've started to play some good footy."

Hollands was among a group of Carlton players that visited the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre during the week, meeting and greeting patients.

Former Adelaide star Josh Jenkins posted his empathy for Hollands during the game.

During the broadcast of the match, it was stated that Hollands reported that he struggled to sleep the night before the match and that the club was monitoring his heart rate during the game. A social media post with this revelation has since been deleted by Channel Seven.

Carlton remains under fire for allowing Hollands to play 60 per cent of the game, despite issues clear and obvious to those watching, even a long way up in the stands.

Many pundits have pointed out the clear issues with the situation.

Until the Blues put out an official statement, the exact circumstances of them allowing him to play remain foggy.

Hollands will surely be given all the time he needs away from the game, if any is required, and would likely be in doubt for the club's Anzac Day meeting with Fremantle in Perth.