Geelong's Atkins Says Concussion Saga Won't Derail Finals Campaign
Geelong midfielder Tom Atkins says the club's concussion contract controversy has not distracted players ahead of Friday night's elimination final against Carlton at the MCG.
The AFL fined Geelong $140,000 for failing to officially inform the league about a concussion waiver in Jake Kolodjashnij's contract. The sanction consisted of $100,000 plus a $40,000 suspended amount, stemming from the league fining the club the previous October after an investigation into its third-party agreements. ABC News
Kolodjashnij came forward as the player at the centre of the controversy and has not played at any level since. He returned to the Geelong club ahead of the finals. ABC News
Atkins, speaking to media on Monday, was asked whether he or another player had been part of a discussion around a similar concussion agreement. His answer was blunt: "No." He said the playing group's focus had stayed on performing on weekends and on supporting Kolodjashnij as a teammate and friend. ABC News
"It's awesome" to have Kolodjashnij back around the club now that finals have arrived, Atkins said. He hoped his teammate could return to playing and training.
An elimination final is exactly what it sounds like — lose and your season is over. Geelong and Carlton will face off at the MCG on Friday night with a spot in the next week of finals on the line, which adds another layer of weight to a week already complicated by the concussion fallout.
Kolodjashnij's history with concussion stretches back well before the contract story became public. He has been pulled from games multiple times across recent seasons after head knocks, including being subbed out at quarter-time during a match in 2022. He has periodically entered the AFL's concussion protocols — the structured return-to-play steps a player must clear after a head injury before being allowed back on the field. Geelong Cats
Atkins' message was that the saga stays off the field. The preparation for Carlton has not shifted. The fine, the waiver, the headlines — none of it changes what happens at the first bounce on Friday night. ABC News
For Geelong, the test now is whether that claim holds up under September pressure.
