AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon says Carlton had sufficient cues to know they needed to withdraw Elijah Hollands earlier in their loss to Collingwood as the league revealed the Blues’ punishment.

The league handed Cartlon a $75,000 sanction, which will be paid to mental health service provider Headspace.

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said Carlton had brought the game into disrepute by not removing Hollands from the field of play earlier in the game.

“Firstly, I want to acknowledge Elijah and his family, and our focus continues to be on his well-being,” he said.

“We found there were sufficient visual cues, performance data during the math and an understanding of Elijah’s individual circumstances to indicate he should have been removed from play earlier than he was.

“We also determine the delay in removing Eljiah from the field resulted in an outcome that brought the game into disrepute.”

Dillon said Holland’s situation highlighted the need to improve the league’s mental health protocols.

“What transpired during the game was something we haven’t seen before, and while Elijah did undergo checks, he should not have been left on the field for that period of time,” he said.

“It’s highlighted something important for our game. While our physical injury protocols are strong, mental health presentations can be variable and are complex, which means we need to strengthen and standardise our response to acute mental health episodes.”

Head of Health and Football Operations, Laura Kane, announced the league will be implementing a suite of reforms to develop industry standards for mental health.

“We will establish an AFL health and well-being governance committee that advises the AFL industry on healthcare governance-related matters,” she said.

“We will implement the appointment of full-time psychologists or the equivalent across all AFL and AFLW programs with industry consultation to commence immediately.

“We will develop standards relating to psychological fitness to play. We will conduct a review of the club department soft-cap policy, pertaining specifically to health care mechanisms.

However, she stopped short of declaring a mental health round, which has been called for by several players.

“This has to be about care clarity and action, and this is bigger than one club and one night,” he said.

“We will host a mental health round table with our media partners and the Black Dog Institute and the Danny Frawley community in the lead-up to Spud’s game.

“We have incredible people in our industry, and the one thing we all agree on is that the health and well-being of our players are the No.1 priority, and we will take this opportunity to learn as an industry and make ourselves better.”

Carlton were put in the spotlight after a distressing vision of Hollands emerged during their April 16 loss to Collingwood, in which he gathered just one touch despite being on the field for the majority of the game.

Hollands was subsequently admitted to hospital with what the club described as a mental health episode, with the Blues undertaking an internal investigation as they came under fierce criticism for not removing him from the game earlier.

The 24-year-old has previously admitted to experiencing panic attacks during games and battling anxiety.

On Friday, Voss did not want to provide a specific update on Hollands’ condition and insisted the Blues’ public focus had shifted.

“The week’s been about getting back into the normal flow of a week, and that’s what we’ve tried to do,” Voss said.

“But in the background, there’s that continual support that we need to continue to provide.

“We’re eyes locked forward, but obviously still continuing to provide that support where we need to.”

He had previously hit back and criticism over the situation accusing the media of “bullying” club staff.

Channel 7’s Tom Morris also revealed Carlton club doctor Matt Chamberlain took personal leave in the aftermath.

LIFELINE: 13 11 14