Geelong Football Club fined by AFL over concussion waiver

The AFL has fined the Geelong Football Club $100,000, with an additional $40,000 suspended, for failing to officially notify the league and the AFL Players Association regarding a concussion waiver in Jake Kolodjashnij’s contract.

An independent investigation by James Peters KC found that the failure to lodge the contract variation was an oversight rather than an attempt to deceive the league or the players' association. The review noted that Geelong had consulted extensively with doctors, lawyers, insurers, and the player’s family following an inconclusive assessment by the AFL concussion panel. While the club breached AFL rules by entering an unauthorised variation, the investigation found no evidence of inappropriate conduct by club officials.

AFL Commission Chairman Craig Drummond, who previously served as Geelong president, issued an apology and stated that the player’s health and wellbeing were the primary focus of the club’s decisions. He also noted that the player’s private medical information had been released without consent.