ON THE back of what he regards as the best three games of his career to date, Ollie Hollands is most pleased about the role he’s been playing for the team since his return from surgery.
The AFL Rising Star nomination is a nice added bonus.
Last night, Hollands became the Blues’ first Rising Star nominee of the season on the back of a 20-disposal performance against St Kilda, continuing an impressive run of form since his return to senior football.
After undergoing surgery following a fractured collarbone back in Round 11, the Blues’ faith in the draftee was demonstrated when he returned after one VFL game, producing a strong performance against West Coast.
He’s gone from strength to strength in the ensuing fortnight, playing a crucial role in the spirited win over Collingwood and backing that up a week later as Carlton produced a come-from-behind win.
On the accolade itself, Hollands said he’d rather focus on his contribution to the wider cause.
“It’s a nice bit of recognition,” Hollands said.
“Coming back out of rehab, a bit of a goal for me was to come back a bit better and a bit stronger. The last three weeks have helped me build on that . . . it’s been a good feeling to contribute to three solid wins.”
There’s always a family link with Hollands, whose great-grandfather Martin Cross played for Carlton back in the 1960s - fuelling Hollands’ lifelong support for the Blues - as well as his dad Ben playing for Richmond.
Then, there’s Elijah, who just so happened to be the AFL Rising Star nominee for Round 21 of the 2022 season: the corresponding round for the younger brother’s nomination 12 months on.
With the Blues facing the Suns next week, Carlton’s Hollands doesn’t want to look ahead too far — yet.
The players seem pretty happy with last night's news 🥹 pic.twitter.com/AJWhjpKIoh
— Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) August 7, 2023
“It’s special knowing he’s at another AFL club as well. It’d be nice to be able to come up against him, we talk pretty often,” he said.
“Being able to line up against him, hopefully we’re both still in the side and it’ll be a nice moment for the family.”
As for Cross, Hollands shed some light into the phone conversation he exchanged with Carlton player No.738 . . . or, as he prefers to call him, ‘Pa’.
“He rings me very often: it was nice to hear from him yesterday.
“His wisdom and advice is awesome: he gives me great advice on being able to go out there, play freely and play on instinct.
“He’s a great person to have in my corner.”
