Carlton youngster Elijah Hollands is taking an indefinite period of leave to deal with personal issues.
Hollands met with club officials several weeks ago to openly discuss avenues for support with the club on personal issues he is dealing with.
Both the Blues and Hollands' support network have worked closely with one another to reach the best outcome for the 22-year-old.
Hollands has since chosen to make a "necessary decision" to deal with his circumstances without the pressures of a full-time AFL athlete, with the club granting the wingman with indefinite leave from his duties.
General manager at Carlton Brad Lloyd said the club was fully supportive of Hollands' decision.
โWe 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,โ Lloyd said.
โWhile 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.
โElijah'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.
โWe 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 through this next period.โ
Carlton said the club will make no further comment at this time, and asks to respect Hollands' privacy while he engages in resolving his personal issues.
Hollands crossed from the Gold Coast Suns in the 2023 trade period and had a breakout campaign in his first season at the Blues, following a two-week suspension for an illicit drugs policy breach. Playing 22 games, Hollands averaged 17.8 disposals and 2.9 inside 50s per game, and was instrumental up forward and on the wing.
