The AFL has fined Geelong a total of $140,000 over a contract variation with defender Jake Kolodjashnij that included a waiver related to concussion risks. The sanction, announced on Thursday, follows an investigation that found the club failed to inform the league of the change, but cleared Geelong of any intent to conceal the agreement.
AFL sanctions Cats for undisclosed contract variation
The league fined the Cats $100,000 for breaching rules by not lodging the variation to Kolodjashnij's contract, which was drafted and signed after the player was not fully cleared by the AFL's concussion panel in 2024. The clause was created following consultations with the player, his family, doctors, and insurers about the potential risks of returning to senior football.
The sanction also activated a $40,000 suspended fine related to salary cap breaches from last year, bringing the total penalty to $140,000. The money will be paid into the AFL's injury and support fund. Geelong recorded a profit of $1.7 million last year.
Investigation clears club of concealment intent
The AFL Commission accepted the recommendations from an investigation led by Kings Counsel James Peters, finding that Geelong did not intend to conceal the agreement. The waiver was set aside by the club in the days after its existence became public.
The Commission's statement also appeared to clear a path for waivers to be implemented in future, noting that the report "made no adverse findings in relation to the club's decision to enter into an agreement with the player to mitigate its legal exposure."
Commission member Paul Bassat said that despite the sanction for the "unauthorised variation," Geelong had acted with the health and safety of its players in mind. He added: "It is clear this incident goes beyond the breach of lodgement rules, and has raised broader issues to do with informed consent in playing contact sport and the paramount responsibilities for players' health and safety." Bassat also stated that the AFL, working with the AFLPA, medical experts, and other stakeholders, would have more to say on these policy matters.
Penalty exceeds recent fines but pales next to class action
The $140,000 penalty exceeds recent fines issued by the AFL, including the $77,500 penalty to Geelong for salary cap breaches (of which $40,000 was suspended) and the $75,000 fine handed to Carlton for mismanagement of Elijah Hollands' mental health episode.
However, the amount is minimal compared to the compensation likely to be sought by past players in a head injury-related class action. The action, with former Cat Max Rooke as lead plaintiff, includes more than 100 former AFL players and is expected to go to trial next year.
Widespread criticism and fallout
The controversy has drawn widespread criticism of Geelong, and has also enveloped the AFL given that Craig Drummond, the former Cats president, became chair of the AFL Commission in March. Drummond has apologised for "the mistakes made in this very complex situation," and earlier this month said: "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." Drummond removed himself from the AFL's deliberation on the matter.
The waiver's existence prompted speculation about the identity of the initially unnamed player, leading Kolodjashnij to publicly identify himself as the player who signed the agreement. The 31-year-old criticised the media for revealing his private medical information.
Kolodjashnij has played 11 games for the Cats this season after missing the entire home-and-away season in 2025, but has not played a senior match since the round 18 loss to GWS early last month. Geelong finished fifth on the ladder and will play their elimination final at the MCG next week against a winner from the AFL's first wildcard round.
