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Jake Kolodjashnij Medically Retires After Failed Concussion Clearance

The outcome exposes regulatory, medical and contractual shortcomings in how ambiguous concussion results are managed by clubs and the AFL.

Overview

  • Geelong confirmed defender Jake Kolodjashnij has been medically retired after recent concussion tests did not clear him to continue playing.
  • The club told the league it would not proceed after extra testing, ending a 13-year AFL career that included 209 games and a 2022 premiership.
  • Kolodjashnij first received an 'amber' reading from the AFL concussion panel in 2024, a result that led Geelong to add a separate 'voluntary assumption of risk' clause to his contract.
  • The AFL fined Geelong $140,000 for failing to lodge the concussion-related clause with the league, a penalty that focused attention on clubs' disclosure duties.
  • The case echoes his twin brother Kade's concussion-forced exit and has prompted calls for the concussion panel to give clearer, enforceable medical pathways when results are uncertain.