AFL 2025: Collingwood general manager Charlie Gardiner on the Lachie Schultz concussion fallout

Collingwood’s executive general manager of football has had his say on the Lachie Schultz incident.

Collingwood has reinforced its stance on the incident involving forward Lachie Schultz last Thursday night, again declaring the game needed to be stopped.

Play continued around Schultz after he was knocked out in the dying minutes of the Magpies’ win over Fremantle at Perth Stadium.

The AFL initially stated the umpires were unaware of Schultz’s injury but audio later revealed the umpires had encouraged play to continue around him.

Collingwood executive general manager of football Charlie Gardiner admitted the fallout between the umpires and the AFL was a surprise before solidifying the club’s view.

“I have been a little bit surprised with some of the internal communications but from our perspective it doesn’t change our position on the night that play should’ve been stopped,” he said.

Charlie Gardiner (R) sitting with Collingwood CEO Craig Kelly. Picture: Michael Klein

“I think everyone is in agreement with that … we were contacted on Friday as a check in, we’re in regular contact with the AFL obviously.

“They informed us that they felt the right decision was to stop the game and they followed that with the public position but we haven’t had any further contact.”

Schultz was at the club on Wednesday walking laps as he entered the mandatory concussion protocols.

Gardiner said the small forward would generally opt against leading the news but had followed the fallout with some interest.

“Lachie is doing really well … he’s in good spirits which is great, we’ve been in contact with him and his family,” he said.

“He’s obviously followed the news and headlines over the last little while, I think he would prefer he wasn’t in the spotlight, he’d just like to get back, focus on recovery.”

The incident again prompted the debate around whether AFL umpires should be on full-time contracts.

Gardiner said he would need to know the depth of an umpire’s schedule before commenting, but hoped they were doing everything they could to improve the game.

“The question I would have is ‘what more could they be doing that they’re not currently doing if they were full time’,” he said.

The Lachie Schultz incident has caused mass debate. (Photo by Janelle St Pierre/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“I don’t know what their schedules are like ... but if there’s more that they can be doing to review games, work through scenarios and that would require full time, then absolutely.

“If they can do that under the current arrangements then that’s acceptable too.”