Australian rules-'Mental health episode' during game puts AFL player welfare in spotlight

By Ian Ransom

MELBOURNE, April 21 (Reuters) - With doctors, physios, psychologists, analysts and strength and conditioning coaches, Australian Football League (AFL) clubs are as equipped as any of the world's top sporting franchises to support their players with a high quality of care.

Yet an on-field "mental health episode" ‌suffered by Carlton midfielder Elijah Hollands has exposed the limits of these support structures in the full glare of the public spotlight.

In one of ‌Australian rules football's most-anticipated match-ups, the 23-year-old struggled in front of a crowd of 78,058 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as the Blues lost a tight game to old rivals Collingwood last ​Thursday.

Hollands, who has spoken of his battles with mental health and alcohol problems in the past, appeared disorientated and confused at times, unable to engage normally with the play.

Despite spending most of the match on field, he finished with only a single disposal -- the statistic denoting a kick or a hand-pass of the game's olive-shaped ball -- almost unheard of in a sport where midfielders rack up 20-plus per game.

With millions watching the game on screens, the reaction to Hollands' performance was swift and scathing.

Fans ‌and media pundits asked whether Carlton, one of the ⁠AFL's oldest and best-resourced clubs, had failed in their duty of care to a player who may have been unfit to play.

Carlton said Hollands had suffered a mental health episode on field and confirmed late on Monday he had been admitted ⁠to hospital.

Hollands' management agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

The club's CEO Graham Wright said officials were aware that he was struggling in the game but did not believe he was affected by alcohol or drugs.

"Our guys were dealing with him in the game and obviously he was having some problems," Wright told ​reporters.

Collingwood ​players also picked up on Hollands' behaviour during the match, defender Brayden Maynard said.

"I overheard ​a few things, but as I said, I was too ‌focused on the game to really understand what was actually going on," he said.

CONCERNING SYMPTOMS

While Wright described Hollands' ordeal on Thursday as presenting "unprecedented and complex circumstances", the player has previously discussed suffering symptoms during a match.

He told Melbourne newspaper The Age last October he had suffered a "mini panic attack" against the Sydney Swans earlier in the year, describing himself as being like a complete pedestrian, unable to do what he normally does well on field.

"I went to the bench and told our psychologist I could not breathe – I could not settle down, (and) my head was spinning," he said.

"It was a pretty worrying moment because footy had been ‌somewhere I could go to, and all those (negative) thoughts I was having away from the ​club would just disappear.

"So it was really confronting to have that for the first time, where ​it really showed up."

Unlike head-knocks during play, where detailed concussion protocols ​are triggered and players are quickly removed from games if their safety is at risk, there are no official guard-rails in ‌place for managing mental health incidents on field.

The Hollands episode ​has prompted other clubs to review their ​practices.

Melbourne Demons captain Max Gawn said he would talk to the team's leadership and ask what they would do in a similar situation.

"But you have to remember how hard that actually is to call live," said Gawn.

The AFL has left Carlton to review whether Hollands was fit to ​play but requested the club share its findings. Carlton ‌may face a fine of A$50,000 ($35,850) if found to have played Hollands when unfit, according to AFL rules.

Hollands' father posted a message of ​support on social media.

"I know who my son is -- and I will lift him up until he is restored in full," he ​wrote.

($1 = 1.3945 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)