AFL Fines Geelong $140,000 Over Secret Concussion Waiver
The AFL has fined Geelong $140,000 over a secret concussion waiver inserted into defender Jake Kolodjashnij's 2024 contract — a clause that required him to take all legal responsibility for any future brain trauma so he could keep playing (ABC News).
The penalty includes a $40,000 suspended sanction, which carries over from a fine the AFL imposed on Geelong in October after an investigation into the club's third-party agreements. The suspended portion means the club must stay compliant or risk paying it as well.
The saga began when Kolodjashnij, who had suffered several concussions, signed the waiver in a bid to extend his career. The clause would have shielded Geelong and its medical staff from future legal action if he suffered further head injuries (news.com.au). In Australian rules football, a concussion is a brain injury caused by a knock to the head, and the AFL has strict protocols around how quickly a player can return to play after one.
The AFL commissioned James Peters KC to investigate after issuing Geelong a "please explain" — a formal request for the club to account for its conduct. Peters found that Geelong's failure to lodge the contract variation with the league was an oversight rather than a deliberate concealment (ABC News).
Geelong chief executive Steve Hocking defended the deal, saying there was "not a lot" the club would change in how it handled the issue. Club president Grant McCabe described the waiver as a "voluntary assumption of risk" and said there had been extensive consultation when the agreement was reached, including with AFL officials (ABC News).
The revelation has put pressure on both Hocking and current AFL chairman Craig Drummond, who was Geelong president when the waiver was signed. Drummond now oversees the league that has fined his former club.
Coach Chris Scott said he was "not exactly sure" why Kolodjashnij had been made unavailable to play in the wake of the scandal (Nine). Kolodjashnij had suffered a concussion before round five in Geelong's match against West Coast at Norwood Oval on April 11.
Before the final penalty was confirmed, SEN reported that Geelong was expected to face a financial sanction of upwards of $100,000 (SEN). The $140,000 figure exceeded that forecast.
The fine settles the AFL's immediate regulatory response. But the broader question the saga raises — whether a club can ask a player to absorb the legal risk of his own brain injury in exchange for a spot on the list — does not disappear with a financial penalty.
