Carlton delisted seven players on Wednesday, four days after its season ended in an elimination final loss to Geelong. Zac Williams, Lewis Young, Lachie Fogarty, Jordan Boyd, Elijah Hollands, Flynn Young and Harry Charleson all leave the club.

Williams goes after 183 games across two clubs, 113 at Greater Western Sydney and 70 at Carlton, having played nine this season. Lewis Young played 70 games for the Blues including 14 in 2026, two of them finals. Fogarty played 69 and managed two this year. Boyd played 40 in five and a half seasons. Flynn Young played 11 and Charleson never debuted.

“This time of year it can be difficult to farewell good people," Carlton general manager of football Chris Davies said in the club statement. "Zac, Lachie, Lewis and Jordan have all played their role for the senior side over the last five or six years, while Elijah, Flynn and Harry each contributed to our Club in more recent seasons.”

Hollands is the name that carries the week. The 24-year-old, taken with pick seven in the 2020 national draft by Gold Coast and traded to Carlton in October 2023, finished with 47 AFL games. He has not played at any level since round six.

That match was against Collingwood at the MCG on 16 April, a game Carlton lost 13.10 (88) to 12.11 (83). Hollands had one disposal and was benched for the last time 20 minutes into the final quarter. He was hospitalised five days later.

The AFL investigated and fined Carlton $75,000, paid in full to the league's mental health partner headspace. AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said Hollands "should have been removed from play earlier than he was", citing sufficient visual cues, in-game performance data and the club's knowledge of the player's individual circumstances.

The league did not stop at the fine. It made a full-time psychologist or equivalent mandatory at every AFL and AFLW club, committed to standardised guidance on psychological fitness to play, and established a health and wellbeing committee. A single incident at one club changed the staffing requirement at all of them.

Hollands published a statement on Wednesday confirming he is not looking for another club. "Football means an extreme amount to me," he wrote. "My dad played professional footy, my great-grandfather played professional footy, my brother plays professional footy, it is everything I have lived and breathed for as long as I can remember."

"I love this game, but I have come to realise that there are things in my life that are far more important than footy right now, and they're the things I will now prioritise," he wrote. "As an extremely confident 18-year-old, I certainly envisioned my career going a whole lot differently, but I am okay with accepting that it just isn't in the plans set for me."

His brother Ollie remains on Carlton's list. Their father Ben played eight games for Richmond in 1999. "I will cherish being able to share the stage with Ollie, and I am so grateful to say that I have done what so many dream of: playing in front of 90,000 people at the MCG with my own brother," Hollands wrote.

Carlton finished the home and away season tenth at 12 wins, 10 losses and a draw after opening 1-8 under Michael Voss, who left after round nine. Josh Fraser took over as caretaker from round 10 and was appointed to the job permanently. The Blues beat Melbourne 10.14 (74) to 7.13 (55) in the wildcard final on 29 August in front of 91,733, then lost to Geelong 14.23 (107) to 11.8 (74) on 4 September before 96,680, with Patrick Dangerfield kicking five goals in his 32nd final.

Free agency opens on 2 October and the trade period runs from 5 to 14 October. Delisted free agency follows from 2 to 6 November, though Hollands has said he will not be part of it.

The finals continue on Friday night with Fremantle hosting Geelong at Optus Stadium at 8.10pm AEST, and Brisbane hosting Adelaide at the Gabba at 7.35pm AEST on Saturday. Both semi-final teams are named on Thursday evening.

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