Updated ,first published
AFL chief Andrew Dillon has refused to be drawn on whether commission chairman Craig Drummond should immediately step aside from his position while investigations into Geelong’s secret concussion waiver scandal are being conducted.
Drummond, the Geelong president when the matter was dealt with by the club, has removed himself from league deliberations, apologising and conceding the Cats “went too far” in not seeking league approval before allowing premiership player Jake Kolodjashnij to sign a waiver that had him assuming responsibility for future on-field head injuries.
Amid the fallout from the scandal after Kolodjashnij identified himself on Friday as the player involved, Dillon has not ruled out calling in an independent party to lead the investigation.
Pressure is mounting on the AFL to mete out heavy penalties. The league issued Carlton a $75,000 fine for their handling of Elijah Hollands’ mental health episode during a game earlier this year, and also docked former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley $20,000 for taunting Hawthorn’s Jack Ginnivan with an aeroplane gesture in 2024.
“It is an issue at the moment that is at the AFL executive level,” Dillon said on 3AW on Saturday.
“If it [the issue] gets put up to the commission … and as has happened so far … Craig hasn’t been involved in any deliberations or determinations and, obviously, he won’t be going forward.”
Pressed on whether Drummond’s position was untenable, Dillon replied: “Not on the information that’s in front of me at the moment”.
Former Hawthorn president Andrew Newbold stepped aside from the commission amid the investigation into alleged racism at the Hawks, but Dillon would not be drawn on comparing the cases.
“I don’t want to get into the hypotheticals … but what we have got, at the moment, is we’re getting information from Geelong. As that information comes to light, we’ll deal with it,” he said.
Dillon said he had not addressed the matter with colleague, Simon Kelleher, who was the Cats’ chief operating officer at the time before crossing to head office.
In a public statement on Saturday before Dillon conducted a series of media interviews to try and shed light on the AFL’s role in the saga, Drummond apologised for “the mistakes made in this very complex situation”.
“I was president of the Geelong Football Club in 2024,” the AFL chairman said.
“This was an extremely complex and sensitive matter, and obligations to both the player and the club were very carefully considered by the Geelong board.
“Jake’s welfare was central to all discussions and I have been thinking of him particularly over the past few days.
“While the player was medically cleared to play, the club engaged in lengthy discussions including with him, his family, doctors and insurers about his future and the potential risks of returning to play.
“Regardless of the player’s agreement, the club went too far in adding a waiver into an informed consent document and it will be removed.”
Kolodjashnij didn’t directly address signing any document pertaining to his playing contract on Friday, but said he “participated fully” in the AFL’s concussion panel process and insisted he is fully healthy and fit to play at the highest level.
Dillon would not comment on any potential sanctions or charges the Cats could face until the league receives a response from the club over what the AFL and Geelong acknowledge to be a procedural failure. Dillon denied the league had double standards when dealing with the Cats.
“What we’re looking at now is getting the information from Geelong, and then we will see what we’ve got from there, and then make a decision at that stage,” Dillon said SEN.
“I know people want answers really quickly, and we’re working on that, but we want to hear back from Geelong, give them the chance to reply to that, and then we see where that goes.”
Drummond and Dillon both said the waiver didn’t remove Kolodjashnij’s protections as a player under statutory health and safety laws.
“As the club has also acknowledged, there was also a process failure in relation to lodgement of the agreement with the AFL and the AFLPA [AFL Players’ Association],” Drummond said.
“I have not and will not be involved in any deliberation in relation to this matter and its assessment under the AFL rules and regulations.
“I apologise for the mistakes made in this very complex situation.”
Dillon said the waiver was a breach of the AFL rules and repeatedly used the word “failure” in describing the Cats’ handling of the issue.
The scandal has shone the spotlight on the league’s declaration that it places player health and safety as its No.1 priority.
“I don’t think the position’s weakened, but there have been failures, and they’ve been owned, and then there will be accountability,” Dillon said.
Kolodjashnij, who has a history of concussions, appeared before the AFL’s concussion panel process in 2024 and is forthright that he is fully healthy and fit to play at the highest level. His twin brother Kade retired in 2020, aged 25, due to concussion issues.
“There have been players who’ve gone to the panel, and the advice has been clear: you shouldn’t play. And we’ve had players retire on the back of that,” Dillon said.
“We’ve had players retire as a result of concussions who haven’t gone to the panel, and they’ve come to that conclusion with their club doctor or with their independent doctor. But again, we’re very thankful for the doctors who give up their time and they serve on that panel. It’s a really important role for the game.”
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