{
  "id": 10628706,
  "title": "Cat at centre of concussion waiver saga forced into medical retirement",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/cat-at-centre-of-concussion-waiver-saga-forced-into-medical-retirement",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-29T06:39:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-29/geelong-jake-kolodjashnij-medical-retirement-concussion-waiver/107208642"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Geelong Cats have medically retired defender Jake Kolodjashnij due to concussion, following his secret waiver agreement in 2024. The 31-year-old, who played 209 AFL/VFL games, signed a pact requiring him to assume responsibility for future brain trauma in exchange for staying with the club. Geelong was fined $140,000 for not notifying the AFL about the waiver, with $100,000 in penalties and a suspended fine of $40,000 stemming from a league probe into the club's third-party agreements. Kolodjashnij expressed gratitude for his time at the club, praising the relationships and memories formed during his career. Geelong football boss Andrew Mackie honored the defender, praising his consistency, resilience, and team-first attitude.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News",
        "title": "Cat at centre of concussion waiver saga forced into medical retirement",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/cat-at-centre-of-concussion-waiver-saga-forced-into-medical-retirement",
        "published": "2026-09-29T06:39:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}