Geelong great Jimmy Bartel is calling for answers over the secret concussion waiver scandal, alleging the club’s actions involving Jake Kolodjashnij two years ago were either “gross incompetence or a deceitful act”.

Amid widespread questioning about Geelong’s decision-making in allowing the premiership player to sign a waiver that had him assuming responsibility for future on-field head injuries and that document not being presented to the AFL, Bartel was critical about the club’s description of what transpired as a “misstep”.

The Cats’ board will meet early on Monday to discuss its response to the controversy, including the AFL’s request for an explanation of why the document Kolodjashnij signed was not tabled to it.

AFL commission chairman Craig Drummond, the Geelong president when the matter was dealt with by the club, has removed himself from league deliberations, apologising and conceding the Cats “went too far” in not seeking AFL approval for the contentious waiver.

AFL boss Andrew Dillon has not ruled out calling in an independent party to lead an investigation into the saga.

But the CEO refused to be drawn on whether Drummond should immediately step aside from his position.

Bartel, a 300-gamer with the Cats, three-time premiership player and member of the club’s Hall of Fame, was asked on Sunday if Geelong’s actions were akin to a “cover-up”.

“That’s one of the big questions,” replied Bartel on Nine’s Wide World of Sports.

“This won’t be the end of the story.

“I think Geelong and the AFL (now) understand - you just can’t sweep this one under the carpet.

“The initial statements were really poor from (the) chairman of the AFL, who was also chairman of the Geelong Football Club, Craig Drummond.

“And [Cats’ CEO] Steve Hocking’s comments (about a) misstep. This is not a misstep. This is (decisions made by) incredibly experienced people, not only in corporate world but (the) AFL world.

“So it’s either gross incompetence, or a deceitful act, to get around or circumnavigate (sic) a standard playing contract.

“Because why wouldn’t it be filed like any other contract?”

In a public statement on Saturday morning, Drummond apologised for “the mistakes made in this very complex situation”.

Two days earlier, after the details of the case involving Kolodjashnij – who had yet to be revealed as the player involved – became public, Drummond told this masthead: “This matter was complex, sensitive and very carefully considered by the Geelong board at the time,” Drummond said.

“The club has today addressed the reasons for decisions in relation to the player and the appropriate changes it will make going forward.”

Grant McCabe, who succeeded Drummond as president, is expected to lead Monday’s board meeting. The club’s board of seven includes Australian cricket team coach Andrew McDonald, who is in Darwin for this week’s Test match against Bangladesh.

The club’s chief executive, Steve Hocking, in a brief media conference on Friday described the secret player agreement as a “process misstep”, then defended Geelong’s record on Saturday.

“We’re a really good football club,” he said on KRock.

“We do so much right. I think that occasionally there might be one or two per cent that you don’t get right. And in this case that will be proven.

“I would suggest that will be proven with [the] please explain.”

Cats coach Chris Scott was also asked about the matter after his team’s 67-point win over lowly Essendon on Saturday, but largely steered clear of the issue, reiterating what Hocking has told media on Friday – that Scott had no involvement in the Kolodjashnij contract.

“It’s interesting when people have opinions on it. It almost suggests that they know more than me, which may well be the case, but I don’t know enough to give an informed opinion on it,” he said in his post-match press conference.

“Even if I was prepared to say more, I just wouldn’t be able to give you anywhere near [as] clear a picture as the people that actually were involved in this stuff, or are involved in it.

“It’s not 1980 – the coach doesn’t run everything these days.”

Scott was asked when he was made aware of the situation surrounding the waiver.

“I can’t remember exactly, but I would imagine I heard about it when it was made public,” he said.

“But, again, even when I search my recollection of it, I can’t even remember the timing around it – that’s how far away I am from it.”

When asked about Kolodjashnij was coping, Scott said: “More and more I’m sort of coming to the conclusion that private conversations and relationships shouldn’t be aired publicly. I know that there’s an interest in that, but it doesn’t mean I need to buy into it.”