'SO F*CKING COOKED' | Hughesy's furious on-camera rant ignites firestorm over Carlton's handling of Elijah Hollands mental health episode

Hollands, 23, played roughly 60 per cent of the match but failed to register a single disposal.

Disturbing footage has emerged from the MCG showing the former Gold Coast player behaving in a noticeably altered manner throughout the contest.

After an internal review, the Blues have confirmed Hollands was suffering a mental health episode, not a substance-related issue.

The bigger question now consuming AFL circles is how he was allowed to stay on the field for so long.

Hughes, whose fury boiled over on Instagram on Friday, did not hold back.

"I promised myself I'd be Zen at the MCG last night and I kept that promise," he began, before ripping into the club's match-day decision-making.

"My mate said we've got a player on the ground who is cooked right now. I said don't be ridiculous, this is an AFL game, there's 80,000 people here."

"Then I started watching him. So. F***ing. Cooked," Hughes said.

"There's a bench, he can sit on that the whole night."

"Say he's got a fing hamstring. Why leave a player on the ground who everyone can see isn't right?"

"What the f are you doing, leadership people at Carlton?"

Hughes made clear his anger was not directed at Hollands, but squarely at the club.

"In my 50 years of playing and watching country, suburban and AFL footy, I have never seen that."

"Diabolical leadership from this club," he wrote.

The post drew a torrent of supportive comments from fellow Blues fans, with one calling for coach Michael Voss' position to be reviewed, writing: "If Voss was aware and chose to do nothing, then his position is untenable."

"If he wasn't aware, that raises even more concerns about his coaching."

"Either way this is the end."

Fox Footy analyst David King echoed the outrage on SEN Breakfast, saying the failure to intervene for three quarters was "alarming."

"I don't understand how so many people in the stadium can see he is not contributing," King said.

"Why did he play three quarters?"

Hollands, who previously took personal leave in 2025 citing mental health issues and a battle with alcohol.

The prominent AFL player was only withdrawn for the majority of the final quarter, playing just nine minutes in the last term.

Carlton released a statement confirming Hollands is receiving ongoing medical and wellbeing support.

Coach Voss said after the match the young midfielder was "shattered" and felt he "let people down."