When Elijah Hollands crossed to Princes Park last summer, the former Sun knew he had work to do earning respect on and off the field. The Blues had taken a chance on the one-time No.7 draft pick, at a time when he was facing a court case for drug possession.
Placed on a good behaviour bond, but having avoided a criminal conviction, Hollands was later given a two-match ban and a $5000 suspended fine by the AFL for a breach of its illicit drug policy.
Hollands, 22, and the older brother of fellow Blue Ollie, understood he had to get busy, and quickly impressed those at Carlton with his commitment and attitude. He went on to play 22 straight senior games.
Making a mark: Elijah Hollands will have a key role to play this season in the Blues’ quest to end a 30-year premiership drought.Credit: Chris Hopkins
“I just had to tap into the support around me, I guess, and the club, putting the trust in me to put my head down and my bum up is something that … was what I had to do last year,” Hollands said this week.
“Nothing really changes. Just because I don’t have a ban hovering over my head this summer, it doesn’t mean I can take it easy. The work still definitely needs to keep continuing, you have got to earn the respect and your stripes every year because there are blokes coming for your spot every season. I feel like I was able to get the spot last year. Now, I have the boys trying to take it off me.”
He said recognising his own mental health, whether that be dealing with football or life away from the game, had been important in his year of growth. A golf fanatic who loves nothing more than being out on the course with his two brothers and father Ben, a former Richmond player, Hollands is also beginning an online marketing course to keep busy.
“It’s pretty well known that if you are happy and healthy off the field, it’s going to help your performance on it. We are almost educated on that daily,” Hollands said.
“The mental side of the game is one that is heavily coached. There is a premium on it. We prioritise it heavily. We do a lot of work with the club psych, and also with the coaches on the mental side of the game.”
A year on, Hollands has again completed pre-season with a rigid focus, hoping to “unleash” his best football after a season of establishing himself as a half-forward pushing into the midfield.
Hollands loves his role, one that he flourished in as a junior – he can use his dash and craft to its full potential. Last year, he averaged almost 18 disposals per game and had 17 goals, confirming he was in the Blues’ best 23.
“It’s the role I played as a kid and the reason why I came across. That was the role that was offered to me when I first came in contact with the footy club when I was still at the Suns. That was the one I was looking to get back into, anyway, and the club pitched that, and I was able to play that last year and grow again,” Hollands said.
“I definitely feel like my best footy can be really good, so I am just working with the guys and coaches to be able to unleash that.
“To come across and get back into the role that got me taken at seven in my draft year, to re-unlock that and flourish in the role, I think, is something that the club has allowed me to do.”
Mind games: Elijah Hollands celebrates a goal.Credit: Getty
Blues brothers
There has been change for the Hollands brothers through the off-season. They lived together last year, Elijah joking at the club’s best and fairest that Ollie’s best dish was a “lasagne that wasn’t really a lasagne, it was just all mixed up in a pot, but it actually doesn’t taste too bad”. But they have now gone their separate ways, which Elijah said had always been the plan.
Ollie, who has largely spent his two years at the club as a wingman, has trained as a rebounding half-back, a role he finished 2024 in. A season-long knee injury to defensive ace Nic Newman has opened up a spot.
“Hopefully, my brother can play it well. Ollie has trained as a half-back this summer, looks really good. He is able to provide us with some run and carry,” Hollands said.
However, there is plenty of competition for a defensive role.
“Billy Wilson, who is uncapped, is a second-year boy. He has put on some size, really fast, a good user, he is another one who has been training well. Nick Haynes has, obviously, come across from the Giants, so there are some good options. The back line at training is really strong,” Hollands said. Jack Silvagni has also emerged as a defensive option.
New role: Ollie Hollands has been training in defence this summer.Credit: Getty Images
Premiership blueprint
There is a poster in the Blues’ gym that reads: “When our feet hit the grass WE DEFEND FIRST”. That’s the ethos the team has this season, Hollands also pointing to a key statistic the Blues have embraced as part of what they hope will end what is now a 30-year premiership drought.
“We are just honing back in on what we do well. We feel like we let that slip a little bit, at times, last year,” Hollands said.
“We had a mark where we knew if we conceded over 80 points, we lost more games than we won. If we conceded less than 80 points, we won all those games.”
The Blues won eight of 10 matches, including five straight from round 12, when their opponents were held below 80 points.
“We know that we defend first, and that’s what we have been doing all summer. We are prioritising that again, making some little changes but, I think, that was pretty clear and cut for us. Making sure we can restrict opponents, we will win more games than we lose,” Hollands said.
Pre-season change: New fitness boss
The former head of athletic performance at the Swans has replaced long-time fitness boss Andrew Russell, after soft-tissue injuries cruelled the Blues’ September aspirations last year.
Hollands said there had been a focus on greater speed and power, but within the prism of individual roles. For instance, midfielders had been working on their power stepping out of stoppages, while forwards needed to fine-tune burst running and agility. For Hollands, it’s been a combination of them all.
“We have probably implemented a bit more speed and power to our training this summer. Everything has been a little bit faster, a little bit sharper, which is good for the group,” Hollands said.
“Obviously, that’s the way the game is going. Everything is being done faster, more powerful, stronger. We are going with that curve as well. That is something that has been a little bit different for our training this summer, and Rob has been great for that.”
What did Voss learn from Ange?
As part of a personal development trip, Voss spent time with English Premier League manager Ange Postecoglou before Christmas. Postecoglou has long been a major Blues supporter, and was even on the selection committee in 2015 when Brendon Bolton was chosen as coach.
“He [Voss] said the trip over there reinforced that we were doing a lot of the right things on connection and things like that,” Hollands said.
“He also said what we have got here are some of the best [facilities and coaching] in the world … and to use it to our full advantage.
“The one thing he picked up over there is just how big they are on connection, and doing the one-percenters, and getting better every single day. We have been massive on that over summer.”
Can Cripps get even better?
It might seem an odd question about a dual Brownlow medallist and five-time John Nicholls medal winner, but it’s one Hollands did his best to answer.
“Unsure, but it would pretty cool to see if he does, it would be pretty special to see,” he said.
Leader: Patrick Cripps has ticked off everything – bar a flag – in his distinguished career.Credit: Getty Images
Hollands said the champion skipper’s attention to detail was what made him the player he is.
“It’s the one-percenters that he puts into his body. He is a different midfielder to 90 per cent of the competition, being a bit bigger and stronger. He has got to use that to his advantage,” Hollands said.
“The way he gets his body right for every single game and every single training session is probably something that separates him from the rest of the pack.”
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