Geelong premiership player Jimmy Bartel has called out his former club over the handling of the secret concussion deal they conjured up with Jake Kolodjashnij.
The Cats were revealed as the club that attempted to waive the player's rights and any legal risks for the club in the case of future brain injury.
The secret deal involved the player, who has a history of concussion, taking all legal responsibility going into the future - effectively protecting Geelong from litigation.
Geelong CEO Steve Hocking said he took responsibility for not lodging it with the AFL or AFLPA, labelling it a misstep.
“This is not a misstep. (These are) incredibly experienced people, not only in the corporate world, but AFL world,” Bartel told Nine's Today.
“So it's either incompetence or a deceitful act to circumnavigate a standard playing contract.”
SEE MORE: Cats forward Cam Mooney calls concussion debacle "complete disappointment"
The AFL has issued Geelong a 'please explain' with the club looking at a six-figure sanction.
“The initial response from Geelong and the AFL wasn't good enough, and I don't think the general public will just accept this passing by,” Bartel said.
“(There needs to be) an open and honest discussion regarding concussion across contact sport and players' agency to choose what they do moving forward. Where Geelong has come unstuck is this side contract they've had, and that's where they're going to feel the wrath of many in the AFL world.
“Any contract needs to go to the AFL and the AFLPA, and this is where questions will be raised as to who was in the meeting, why his agent was not involved, and the concussion board didn't give him a green light or a red light. Hopefully, we get to the bottom of all of this.
“This needs to be out in the light to see how we got to this point. Everyone's thinking of Jake; it's a shame that it's his personal medical records, but why do we have a contract that sits aside from that?”
Scrutiny is also mounting on new AFL Commissioner Craig Drummond, who replaced the outgoing Richard Goyder.
Drummond was president of Geelong in 2024 when the waiver was signed off.
