Geelong fined for Jake Kolodjashnij's concussion contract clause
Consensus Summary
The AFL has fined Geelong $140,000 for failing to lodge a concussion waiver clause in Jake Kolodjashnij’s 2024 contract, which required the 2022 premiership player to assume legal responsibility for future head trauma. The fine includes an additional $40,000 suspended from a previous sanction, with the total amount paid into the AFL and AFLPA Players’ Injury and Support Fund. Kolodjashnij, a 31-year-old defender, has not played at AFL or VFL level since the secret deal emerged, though he returned to training this week ahead of finals. The AFL’s independent review found Geelong acted in good faith but breached rules by not lodging the contract variation. The club’s CEO and former president, now AFL chairman Craig Drummond, escaped sanctions. The controversy stems from Kolodjashnij’s uncertain future after the AFL concussion panel’s 2024 'amber' reading, which left him in limbo about playing on or retiring. His twin brother Kade retired in 2020 due to concussion, adding to the sensitivity of the issue. The AFL has warned that similar waivers will not be accepted in the future and is reviewing concussion risk management with the AFLPA.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Geelong fined $140,000 for failing to lodge a concussion clause in Jake Kolodjashnij’s 2024 contract
- The fine includes an extra $40,000 suspended from a previous sanction for third-party payments
- Kolodjashnij is a 2022 premiership player
- Kolodjashnij signed a two-year deal until the end of 2026
- Kolodjashnij has made 11 AFL appearances in the 2024 season
- Kolodjashnij was managed out of the team in Round 19
- Kolodjashnij dealt with concussions in the 2024 season
- The AFL concussion panel delivered an 'amber' reading for Kolodjashnij in 2024
- Geelong’s VFL team hosts Tasmania in a historic qualifying final this Saturday
- Geelong has the week off to prepare for an elimination final on September 4
- Kolodjashnij is 31 years old
- Kolodjashnij’s twin brother Kade retired in 2020 due to concussion
- Geelong recorded a profit of $1.7m last year
- Geelong was fined $77,500 last year for salary cap breaches, of which $40,000 was suspended
- The fine will be paid into the AFL and AFLPA Players’ Injury and Support Fund
- The AFL’s independent concussion panel put Kolodjashnij’s future back in the hands of the player and club
- Geelong CEO Steve Hocking and AFL chairman Craig Drummond (who was Geelong president at the time) escaped sanction
- Kolodjashnij has not played at AFL or VFL level since details of the secret deal emerged
- Kolodjashnij returned to training this week ahead of finals
- The AFL issued a 'please explain' to Geelong over the contract clause
- The AFL’s independent review found Geelong did not intend to conceal the agreement or deceive the AFL or AFLPA
- The AFL Commission accepted the findings of the review by James Peters KC
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Kolodjashnij missed the entire 2025 season due to groin, hip, and back issues
- Kolodjashnij played one game in the VFL since being managed out of the team in Round 19
- The AFL initially decided against any penalty when they first addressed the incident, but then quickly issued a ‘please explain’ to the Cats
- The review found Geelong had consulted extensively with the AFL, club doctors, lawyers, insurers, and Kolodjashnij and his family
- Kolodjashnij was left in limbo about playing on or retiring after the AFL concussion panel in 2024
- The AFL’s independent concussion panel delivered an 'amber' reading, which put Kolodjashnij’s future back in the hands of the player and club
- The Cats maintained they acted in good faith and had discussions with the AFL when they struck the controversial agreement with Kolodjashnij in 2024
- The AFL Commission determined the rules were breached and that a significant sanction was warranted
- Kolodjashnij dealt with concussions in the 2024 season, but ultimately signed a two-year deal until the end of 2026
- The AFL’s existing commitment to the AFL and AFLPA Players’ Injury and Support Fund is separate from the $140,000 fine
- The AFL warned that an identical waiver to Kolodjashnij’s would not be accepted if lodged today
- AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon flagged a review with the AFLPA into how to manage concussion risk in the AFL
- The AFL Commission found the Cats did not intend to conceal the agreement, but the sanction exceeds recent fines like the $77,500 penalty for salary cap breaches
- The fine is minimal compared to the compensation likely to be sought by past players in a head injury-related class action, expected to go to trial next year
- Kolodjashnij has played 11 games for the Cats this season after missing the entire 2025 home-and-away season
- Kolodjashnij has not played a senior match since the Round 18 loss to GWS early last month
- The controversy around the waiver drove speculation about the identity of the initially unnamed player, prompting Kolodjashnij to out himself
- Kolodjashnij criticised the media for revealing his private medical information
- The AFL Commission flagged waivers may still have a place in the game, saying the report made no adverse findings in relation to the club’s decision to mitigate legal exposure
- Geelong had reached a deal with Kolodjashnij in 2024, requiring him to take all legal responsibility for future brain trauma, so he could keep playing at the club
- Geelong chief executive Steve Hocking previously defended the deal, saying there was 'not a lot' the club would change in how it had dealt with the issue
- Current Geelong president Grant McCabe referred to the waiver as a 'voluntary assumption of risk' and said there was extensive consultation when the agreement was reached, including with AFL officials
- The penalty stems from the league fining Geelong in October after an investigation into the club’s third-party agreements
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The Guardian states Geelong recorded a profit of $1.7m last year, but this figure is not mentioned in 7NEWS or ABC
- 7NEWS and ABC mention Kolodjashnij played one game in the VFL since Round 19, but 7NEWS also states he was managed out in Round 19, while the Guardian says he has not played a senior match since Round 18
- The Guardian says Kolodjashnij has played 11 games for the Cats this season, while 7NEWS states he has made 11 AFL appearances this year, with no mention of VFL games in the Guardian
- 7NEWS and ABC mention the fine includes an extra $40,000 suspended from a previous sanction, but the Guardian states the $40,000 was suspended from a $77,500 fine last year for salary cap breaches, which is not explicitly mentioned in 7NEWS or ABC
Source Articles
Jake Kolodjashnij ‘bringing great vibes’ as he returns to training amid concussion saga
The veteran defender has been praised for his attitude during the saga surrounding his contract.
AFL comes down hard on Geelong for Jake Kolodjashnij’s controversial concussion contract
The total sanction includes a suspended fine hanging over the club for a previous indiscretion.
Geelong fined $140,000 over secret Jake Kolodjashnij concussion waiver
AFL sanctions Cats for failing to lodge variation to player’s contract Findings clear a path for waivers to be implemented in future The AFL has punished Geelong for their high-profile “mistakes” in managing head injury risks with a vulnerable player, but has not found anything wrong with clubs seeking to mitigate their legal exposure by negotiating with players – even those with a history of concussion symptoms. The league fined the Cats $100,000 on Thursday for failing to inform it of a change
AFL chairman Craig Drummond responds after Geelong fined for concussion contract clause
‘Jake’s private medical information was released without his consent.’
AFL hits Geelong with monster fine over concussion waiver scandal
The AFL hands down its penalty after a meeting between the commission and Geelong regarding Jake Kolodjashnij's now-controversial contract.
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