Carlton coach Michael Voss says Blues staff have been “bullied” over their handling of Elijah Hollands’ mental health episode in the loss to Collingwood last week and has lashed out at public criticism of the club.

The coach, in a fiery press conference on Thursday morning, defended the club’s treatment of Hollands and said he is incredibly proud of his staff over the long-term treatment of the player since he arrived at the club from Gold Coast.

Carlton’s investigation of the Hollands incident continues. The review is likely to reveal the complexity of the 23-year-old’s situation, with AFL, club and external experts all involved in his care at different times over the past two years.

Carlton staff believed they could manage Hollands through his on-field mental health episode last Thursday night – in part because they had done so previously, according to three industry sources.

Sam McClure is an award-winning AFL journalist and broadcaster.Connect via X or email.