Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield called for patience regarding the Jake Kolodjashnij concussion case despite conceding the club had “buggered it up”.
The scandal broke last Thursday, revealing how Geelong and Kolodjashnij agreed to waive his rights for a future legal case should he suffer a brain injury.
Geelong chief executive Steve Hocking spoke on Friday and was categorical that the defender was not “coerced” into signing the deal.
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“It’s not until you unpack all of the detail that you sort of find out what the whole process was,” Dangerfield told Fox Footy on his way into training on Monday.
“Why it was done the way that it was. Clearly, there’s some parts of it that we buggered it up and we can be better, but I still think there’s a bit to unpack yet.”
Dangerfield learnt the news via social media on Thursday morning and said it was a challenge to remain unemotional before knowing further detail.
“(I found out) just on social media, I think like everyone else,” he said.
“As an older player what I’ve learned over time is you’ve got to wait for the detail before the shock and awe kicks in.
“That’s a bit of a challenge with something like this that is very much emotive and especially when it comes to players’ health and when it’s one of our own, one my players – that’s certainly concerning in that sense.
“But you’ve got to get the detail first, The nuance to that is the context of how it was done and clearly there has been more information needed from the AFL and that’s what the club has been doing over the past few days.
“I think it’s not until we get all that information, that’s assessed, there will be a decision made around process and all that sort of stuff.”
Dangerfield said the care for Kolodjashnij was “lost” in the enormity of the story.
“I think that’s not a question that’s been asked a lot over the last little bit, that human element sometimes gets lost in the chase for a story,” he said.
“That’s been, as players, the most important thing for us. And as leaders of the football club, it’s been a pretty difficult few days for Jake and his family for obvious reasons.”
