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Blues confirm Hollands report; won’t begrudge TDK
Andrew Slevison • September 1st, 2025 12:26 pm
Elijah Hollands has been told by Carlton to explore opportunities elsewhere.
It was reported by Channel 7’s Mitch Cleary last week that the Blues had asked the 23-year-old to look for a trade to another club.
Blues coach Michael Voss has since confirmed that report to be true, stating that Hollands has been asked to seek a move away from IKON Park this trade period.
“Yeah, that’s correct,” Voss said on SEN’s Fireball.
“In that discussion was ‘it’s up to you to be able to look around and find out does another place suit you’.
“That’s obviously a discussion we had with him and he’s clear on where we stand with that. It’s up to him to be able to go and explore those options and what they look like.”
Carlton’s stance on Hollands is not so much about ability given he’s a gifted footballer.
But Voss did admit that he has been disappointed by some off-field stuff surrounding the former Gold Coast Sun who joined the Blues prior to the 2024 season.
“Absolutely, we’ve been a little bit disappointed with how it has transpired across the whole year,” he added.
“He’s been quite an important player to us over the course of the previous year. He had a real influence on the way we played but the year hasn’t gone the way we wanted with ‘Lij’.
“The conversations was if there’s another place that’s going to get the best out of you then this is the time to go and look for that.”
Voss did insist that Hollands is contracted for 2026 so a trade would need to be undertaken in order to suit both club and player.
“He’s a contracted player, he’s got a year to run on his contact. We’ll pick that up when we need to, but he’s a contracted player,” the coach added further.
Hollands, the younger brother of Ollie, played just five games in 2025 after impressing in 22 games in 2024.
One player who is absolutely certain not to be wearing navy blue in 2026 is Tom De Koning.
The 26-year-old will join St Kilda as a restricted free agent after agreeing an offer believed to be $1.7-8 million per year over eight years.
Voss said the Blues could simply not begrudge nor deny De Koning from taking such enormous money from the Saints.
“Of course whenever players come to you and say that they want to leave it’s a tough one to accept,” he said of ‘TDK’.
“At the same time you’ve got to take the factors in to consideration. The two men (De Koning and Jack Silvagni) are at least free agents so they’re there to be able to explore their options.
“Let’s wait and see what the total offer is for Tom but I reckon it’s a pretty compelling offer. It’s hard not to look at.
“We don’t begrudge the young man being able to take that opportunity. It’s a rare one that you get and he’s chosen to take it.”
Carlton will also lose Jack Silvagni as an unrestricted free agent with the likes of Collingwood, the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda believed to be keen.
Voss says there will be some cover arriving in the form of father-son prospect Harry Dean, but key defence is an area the Blues will need to address this upcoming trade period.
“We’ve got to shore up a couple of positions. Obviously we’ve got Jack Silvagni sort of leaving,” he said of Silvagni.
“He’s been an important part to ‘Weiters’ (Jacob Weitering) down back there. That probably made us stronger behind the ball, so we lose that.
“What’s coming through? There’s a father-son there with Harry Dean, but he’s a young man that’s still got to evolve into the player he wants to be and will take a little bit of time.
“We have to factor all those in to our decision-making.”
Voss also touched on star forward Charlie Curnow, insisting Carlton will not listen to offers for the two-time Coleman Medallist.
