Cat at centre of concussion waiver saga forced into medical retirement

Geelong Cats premiership defender Jake Kolodjashnij has been medically retired due to a concussion. The player became the subject of a secret waiver in his contract signed in 2024, which placed all responsibility for future brain trauma on himself to allow him to continue playing for the club. Geelong was penalized $140,000 by the AFL last month for not formally informing the league about the concussion waiver in Kolodjashnij's contract - $100,000 in fines plus a suspended $40,000 sanction from October, stemming from an investigation into the club's third-party agreements.

Kolodjashnij, 31, had played AFL and VFL for Geelong earlier in the year but did not feature at any level after the concussion scandal surfaced. The versatile defender had played 11 AFL games this season, bringing his career tally to 209, including the 2022 premiership. In a statement, Kolodjashnij expressed gratitude for the relationships and memories the Geelong Football Club has provided him, acknowledging that football has been a significant part of his life and that he is lucky to have shared it with friends and achieved on-field success during his time with the club.