Carlton's Elijah Hollands takes personal leave; Club statement

Carlton's Elijah Hollands has taken personal leave on the eve of the AFL season and the club has lauded the young forward for "having the courage to ... ask for help".

The club announced two days out from Carlton's season-opening clash with Richmond that Hollands had gone on leave for an indefinite period of time.

"We applaud Elijah for having the courage to come forward and ask for help, and we will continue to work with him to ensure he gets all the support he needs," Carlton footy boss Brad Lloyd said in a statement.

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"While Elijah has been engaged with the football program, quite rightly it is our care for him as a person which matters most, so this period of leave will allow him to focus on himself and he will be afforded as much time as he needs to do that.

"Elijah's level of involvement within the football program during this period will be worked through at the appropriate time, however that certainly sits secondary to Elijah's wellbeing, which is our number one priority.

"We would once again like to acknowledge Elijah for his willingness to come to us for support, and we will certainly continue to provide him with that support."

Elijah Hollands of the Blues. Getty

In October 2023, Hollands pleaded guilty to cocaine possession and was subsequently hit with a two-match suspension by the AFL.

The Wodonga product had just been recruited by Carlton but the incident had occurred during his time at the Gold Coast Suns.

He avoided receiving a criminal conviction.

Hollands arrived at the Suns via pick seven in the 2020 draft and played 14 AFL games for the Gold Coast outfit.

He's featured in 22 senior matches with Carlton since landing at the Blues after the 2022 season.

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