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 use of a secret concussion waiver for premiership defender Jake Kolodjashnij are being conducted.
Drummond, who was Geelong president when the matter was dealt with by the club, has removed himself from league deliberations over the scandal, apologising and conceding the Cats “went too far” in not seeking league approval before allowing Kolodjashnij to sign a waiver that saw the player assume responsibility for future on-field head injuries.
Dillon has also not ruled out calling in an independent party to lead the investigation.
Amid the fallout from the concussion waiver scandal after Kolodjashnij on Friday publicly outed himself as the relevant player, Dillon was asked if Drummond, who became chair in March, should stand aside.
“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.”
The CEO was asked about a comparison with the circumstances of former Hawthorn president Andrew Newbold, who stepped aside from the commission amid the investigation into alleged racism at Hawthorn.
But Dillon would not be drawn on any similarities between 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.”
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 is insisted he is fully healthy and fit to play at the highest level.
Dillon would not be drawn on what sanctions and charges the Cats will face until the league receives a response from the club over what the league and Geelong acknowledge to be a procedural failure.
Pressure is mounting on the AFL to mete out heavy penalties to the Cats. The league issued Carlton a $75,000 fine for their handling of Elijah Hollands’ mental health episode during a game this year, and also docked former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley $20,000 for taunting Hawthorn’s Jake Ginnivan with an aeroplane gesture in 2024.
“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.
“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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