His dad played league footy. So did his great-grandfather. His brother Ollie is still on Carlton’s list.

In his words: “I have only ever wanted to do one thing my entire life: copy what was done before me and play AFL footy. It was something that I just knew I was going to do when I was a kid, and it was all I ever cared about, and now, unfortunately, that purpose I had is no longer.”

Forty-seven games across Gold Coast and Carlton.

He stepped away from football in April to focus on his mental health after his last game against Collingwood.

Yesterday the club delisted him, along with six others. He wrote about it that evening.

“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.”

And: “I’ll be moving into the next chapter of my life, leaving what will feel like a big hole to fill, but I am excited about what can come from having my health and mind in much greater shape.“

He posted it with a photo of him and Ollie.

“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.”

He finished with something bigger than himself.

“With my challenges being so public, one thing I have noticed is that I have been backed by the greater AFL community, which I will be forever grateful for. I hope that kind of support can be shown more to both athletes and the people around each and every one of us.”

Elijah, we want to honour you.

Thank you for showing the boys that some things matter more than footy, and that choosing yourself isn’t giving up on anything. It’s what puts you in shape to be the best person you can be for yourself and the people around you.

We can’t wait to see what comes next for you, you’ve got this!

💚

There’s something here worth talking about with your son.

Plenty of boys build themselves entirely around one thing. Footy, basketball, music, gaming, marks. But what happens when that thing isn’t possible anymore?

Lead by example. Tell him about a time you got knocked back, or lost something you’d been counting on, and what you did next. He’ll take more from that than from any advice you give him.

Or use Elijah’s statement. Read it together and ask him what he makes of it. A 24-year-old stepping away from something he built his whole life around, and saying out loud that his health mattered more.