AFL Issues Geelong ‘Please Explain’ Over Secret Concussion Waiver With Jake Kolodjashnij

Geelong Cats defender Jake Kolodjashnij has revealed himself as the player at the centre of a secret concussion waiver signed in 2024, forcing the AFL to issue a ‘please explain’ notice to the club on August 8. The agreement required Kolodjashnij to assume legal responsibility for any future brain injuries, a move that AFL chair Craig Drummond, who was Geelong president when the deal was signed, now says the club ‘went too far’ in pursuing. The scandal has triggered calls for sanctions and exposed a process failure that kept the arrangement hidden from the AFL and players’ union.

What the secret deal required

In 2024, Geelong struck an agreement with Kolodjashnij to waive his legal rights for future concussions. The 30-year-old defender, who has suffered multiple head knocks including incidents in 2022 and 2024, was given the choice between accepting the waiver or stepping away from the game. Kolodjashnij, who has played 209 AFL games since 2013 and was part of Geelong’s 2022 premiership side, agreed to take on full legal responsibility for any potential future brain trauma to exonerate the club from court action.

Why the AFL and players’ union were kept in the dark

The agreement was never lodged with the AFL or the AFL Players Association, a breach of league rules that both organisations called a ‘process failure’. The deal remained secret until Thursday, August 7, when it was first reported. Within hours, the AFL and AFLPA released a joint statement confirming the waiver had been removed. AFL chief Andrew Dillon told SEN radio on Saturday that the league was still seeking clarity from Geelong about why the document wasn’t lodged before it could determine penalties. Geelong chief executive Steve Hocking took full responsibility for the oversight.

Rival clubs and legends express ‘white hot anger’

The lack of immediate AFL sanction sparked backlash across the competition. Rival clubs reported ‘white hot anger’ at Geelong’s handling of the situation and what they saw as preferential treatment. Former Cats great Tom Hawkins called the arrangement ‘staggering’ and questioned why the club had not fronted the media sooner. AFL journalist Jon Ralph noted this was the second lineball incident involving Geelong in a year, after third-party deal audits in 2025. Former players called for transparency on what exactly transpired between club and player.

Drummond apologises as AFL weighs penalties

On August 8, AFL Commission chair Craig Drummond, who was Geelong president in 2024 when the deal was signed, apologised for ‘the mistakes made in this very complex situation’. He confirmed he would not be involved in any AFL assessment of the case to avoid a conflict of interest. Drummond said the club ‘went too far’ in adding the waiver clause, though he stressed it did not strip Kolodjashnij of statutory health and safety protections. The AFL has not yet handed down a sanction. Dillon said some penalties carry a maximum of AUD 20,000, while others allow for sanctions at large, but he would not speculate on the outcome until Geelong formally responds early next week.

Final Thoughts

Kolodjashnij’s decision to go public has forced the AFL to act after days of criticism over governance and player safety. With Drummond’s apology and the AFL’s formal investigation, the league faces pressure to impose meaningful consequences on Geelong to deter similar conduct by other clubs.

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