AFL player Elijah Hollands has avoided a criminal conviction after admitting cocaine possession.
The Carlton recruit from the Gold Coast Suns appeared in Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday when he pleaded guilty to one drug possession charge.
The court was told his wallet was found in The Star casino with less than 1g of cocaine inside.
He was placed on a two-year good behaviour bond and ordered to attend a drug diversion program.
"I made a mistake that I'm extremely remorseful for," the 21-year-old said outside court.
"It's not only impacted me but my family as well and I'd like to thank both the Carlton club and the Gold Coast Suns for their continued support over the last few weeks."
The Suns traded Hollands to Carlton earlier this month.
The Blues said they knew about the upcoming court case when they recruited him.
“Elijah made a mistake, had been up front with us prior to joining the club regarding this situation and has taken full ownership of what was a poor decision,” Carlton general manager of football Brad Lloyd said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The strong leadership our club has will allow Elijah to enter our environment with the support he needs and just like any player who walks through our doors, he will get to work on earning the respect of his teammates from day one of pre-season training.”
Hollands, the No.7 pick from the 2020 national draft, played just 14 games for Gold Coast and was keen to join his younger brother Ollie at the Blues.
