Carlton Coach Michael Voss Accuses Media Of Bullying After Elijah Hollands Incident

Embattled Carlton coach Michael Voss has defended his unit and accused nan media of bullying arsenic nan spotlight intensifies connected nan nine for allowing Elijah Hollands to play past week during a intelligence wellness episode.

Hollands behaved erratically successful nan lucifer against Collingwood and is now in hospital, and speculation has focused connected really Voss’s unit had allowed nan young subordinate to return nan section fixed his struggles were evident moreover from nan stands.

Fronting a ample property battalion connected Thursday astatine Princes Park up of Saturday’s lucifer against Fremantle, Voss said he wanted to respect nan AFL’s investigation into nan club’s actions connected nan nighttime and “we judge that we request to look astatine process”.

But he said that successful a “complex business that has history and background” his unit merit praise.

“I’m proud of my people, and nan process itself will return attraction of itself, and we request to put our support down that,” he said.

“We’ve unluckily alternatively than make this a backstage challenge, we’ve made this a nationalist event.

“The commentary, nan conversation, nan ball-by-ball play, we’ve unluckily made it that, and successful immoderate ways – I’ll beryllium really honorable – it’s felt for illustration bordering connected bullying.”

When asked to explain who was being bullied, Voss was explicit.

“I deliberation our group are being bullied, and I deliberation [the media] bully for outcomes, and each I’d conscionable opportunity is that we request to return into information nan group who are progressive successful this,” he said. “I mean, this impacts families.”

Michael Voss’s squad person won 1 of six matches successful nan 2026 AFL season. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

He said nan media commentary had been jumping to conclusions.

“Rather than show compassion and empathy done a really difficult situation, [the media] are being really judgmental pinch knowing small facts, without knowing history and background, and [they] person drawn [their] ain outcomes.”

When Hollands said 2 years agone of his individual challenges it was a “significant” moment, Voss said, adding “the past mates of years haven’t been soft sailing for him aliases us.”

The coach said he had not spoken to Hollands straight successful caller days, alternatively communicating pinch his family. Voss maintained he and nan nine were committed to maintaining nan privateness of nan player.

“You tin person your commentary, that’s what [the media] do,” he said.

“What we are charged to do is guarantee that we support nan privateness of nan player, and if that intends that there’s judgement successful down that towards me, and there’s a fewer bullets that request to travel our way, good we’ll return it.

“We’ve each been impacted successful immoderate way, arsenic families and you individually, possibly there’s a fewer present that person struggled pinch immoderate intelligence wellness successful caller times, possibly it’s been a family member, possibly it’s been a friend, possibly it’s been a loved one.

“And each I conscionable inquire is … ‘what would you want correct now?’ And that’s each we ask.”

• In Australia, support is disposable astatine Beyond Blue connected 1300 22 4636, Lifeline connected 13 11 14, and astatine MensLine connected 1300 789 978. In nan UK, nan kindness Mind is disposable connected 0300 123 3393 and Childline connected 0800 1111. In nan US, telephone aliases matter Mental Health America astatine 988 aliases chat 988lifeline.org.