Australian Rules-Geelong fined $100,000 for concussion waiver with player

MELBOURNE, Aug 27 : The Australian Football League (AFL) has fined Geelong Cats A$140,000 ($100,500) for failing to notify the league about a variation to a player's contract which waived his legal rights over concussion.

Geelong signed an "informed consent letter" with championship-winning player Jake Kolodjashnij two years ago which included an acknowledgement of the potential risk of playing in the top flight of Australian Rules football.

Kolodjashnij had suffered multiple instances of concussion during his career but was cleared fit to play by an AFL panel and subsequently signed a contract extension to the end of the 2026 season.

Details of the concussion waiver were not made public until reported in Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper earlier this month, triggering widespread criticism. 

The AFL commissioned an independent review into the letter which found Geelong had breached its rules by entering an unauthorised variation to Kolodjashnij's contract while failing to lodge the document with the AFL and players' association (AFLPA).

"While the review found no intention to conceal the document or deceive the AFL or AFLPA, the Commission determined the rules were breached and that a significant sanction was warranted," AFL Commissioner Paul Bassat said in a statement on Thursday.

The AFL Commission is the league's executive body.

Though the sanction was for a procedural failure, AFL Chief Executive Andrew Dillon said the body would not approve any future concussion waivers like Kolodjashnij's. 

“It can’t happen and it won’t happen,” he told reporters on Thursday.

AFL Commission Chairman Craig Drummond was president of Geelong when the waiver was signed. He recused himself from the review process and apologised earlier this month