Cats coach ‘not exactly sure’ why Kolodjashnij is unavailable
Geelong coach Chris Scott claims he doesn’t know why Jake Kolodjashnij has been made unavailable to play, in the wake of the secret concussion waiver in his contract being torn up.
The Cats were forced to remove the waiver from his contract after its existence was made public last week, as well as the revelation that the AFL, AFL Players’ Association and his management were unaware it existed.
Jake Kolodjashnij of the Cats (right) is seen with brother Kade Kolodjashnij (left) in 2026. Getty
Despite being an emergency for last week’s win over Essendon, Kolodjashnij has now been ruled out, with his future in doubt. The 31-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season.
Geelong released a statement on Tuesday night confirming that he wouldn’t be available for selection at either AFL or VFL level.
“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.
Scott said he was not made aware of the reasoning behind that decision, but added it is not his job to know the ins and outs of medical calls.
“I’m not exactly sure about (why Jake is unavailable), all that gets fed back to me is that he’s not available,” Scott told reporters on Wednesday.
“I was aware before the captain’s run before the Essendon game which was last Friday that he was unavailable at that point, so because the situation is the status quo I haven’t felt the need to get an update from him.”
Scott was coy when asked if Kolodjashnij would ever play for Geelong again.
“I couldn’t speculate on that,” he said.
The dual premiership coach believes the privacy of the player’s medical situation should have remained the top priority.
“I think every player deserves the right to privacy. I understand we are in a public game and there’s quite a savage desire to know certain things. Sometimes even if it’s at the cost of the individual involved,” Scott said.
“Not withstanding that, I think (our players) are concerned that (Kolodjashnij) is concerned and feels like his privacy has been invaded here.
“The care for the individual I don’t think … maybe there are bigger issues where the care for the individual has been overridden, which is why I suspect the playing group is telling him ‘if there’s anything I can do’.”
While Geelong faces what could be a mammoth fine for not reporting the contract clause to the AFL, Scott remained firmly behind the decision makers at the cub.
“There is part of me who would like to give an impassioned defence of certain people within our club, but I just don’t think that would help at the moment,” Scott said.
Cats coach Chris Scott. AFL Photos
“There are a lot of things I would like to say, but even if it is to our detriment, our responsibility, and especially mine, is to respect his privacy.
“I understand the question, but you could ask me about a less significant issue regarding a private conversation with a player, and I just wouldn’t tell you.”
Part of the complexity surrounding Kolodjashnij’s situation was the ‘amber’ response he received from the AFL’s concussion panel. Green means you’re cleared to keep playing, and red naturally means the opposite.
Essendon’s Nik Cox received the all-clear to keep playing from the panel in 2025, while West Coast’s Jeremy McGovern was retired.
Amber clearly indicates that the situation is more line-ball, and Scott feels that ambiguity should be removed.
“Let’s use a hypothetical situation where a club and a player goes through this in the future, I think what they would like is a yes or no answer,” Scott said.
“I don’t think anyone would argue with that. I don’t think that makes it easy or simple … often they’re really complicated, but dealing with that hypothetical, you can prefer an outcome, whether that’s the right outcome is a separate matter.
“I’m sure they have their reasons (for the amber response).”
There has also been a defence of the Cats from ex-players who have said they would sign the waiver to keep playing and that the player themselves should have the agency to make that decision themselves.
Scott was once again not particularly willing to give his opinion, but does feel Kolodjashnij’s desire to sign the waiver has been overlooked.
“I have a view on it, but I can’t wade into these areas. I don’t think my opinion is anywhere near important as some others,” he said.
“I think when it comes to any medical issue, I just think it’s a bit dangerous for any coach’s opinion to hold too much weight.
“I think it’s one for the broader AFL and AFLPA to have a think about what role the actual player has in this because the suggestion that adults don’t have agency over their decision-making is a bit infantilising.”
Isaac Smith says Kolodjashnij is “devastated” and coming to terms with how his career is “effectively done”, as the club confirmed he would not be playing this weekend due to the concussion waiver saga that has rocked the AFL.
Smith, a former teammate of Kolodjashnij, said he was unaware of his teammates’ concussion issues during his time at the club.
Jake Kolodjashnij at training. Getty
“Understanding it all has been a new learning (experience for me),” Smith, a four-time premiership winner who retired in 2023, said on Nine’s Footy Classified.
“You are aware as a player if your teammates have had concussions or if they’ve been knocked out at points, but I was never aware that (Kolodjashnij’s) issue extended greater than what most players deal with in their career.
“He is devastated. I think a lot of that is to do with (how) his private medical documents have been put out there, his name is out there.
“When everyone is talking about you in the footy world, it can be all consuming. He would be coming to the realisation now that effectively his career is done.
“It has been a massive week - I can’t imagine how it has been for him.”
Smith said he expected Geelong would have worked with Kolodjashnij to ensure he was well protected when he suffered concussions and also now through this saga.
“One thing I do know about Geelong is that the care they provide to their players goes above and beyond what any person in society would get,” he said.
“Geelong were very good, no matter the injury. They were so good at protecting you at training from yourself and also the causes that could happen at training.
“The club was brilliant at making sure that players didn’t get put in situations they should not have been in. He (wouldn’t be doing contest training) to the level that everybody else would be doing at different points in time.”
The news of Kolodjashnij being ruled out for this weekend comes after reports from The Age that the AFL Commission has now engaged independent legal counsel to determine the outcome of Geelong’s concussion probe.
