[5] Elder won a 2008–09 League Two championship medal with the Bees,[5] but his season was ended early after suffering a double fracture of the cheekbone, a fractured eye socket, severe trauma to the eyeball and extensive bleeding in and around the eye in a "horror clash" with Rotherham United's Pablo Mills in a match on 7 March 2009.

[7] In the days following the incident, Elder had no sight in his left eye and Brentford manager Andy Scott called for justice to be done.

[8] Elder recovered sufficiently to be included in the squad for the final match of the season against Luton Town, but he remained an unused substitute and would not play again for the club.

However Elder was then transfer listed on 9 November 2009, with manager Paul Simpson unhappy with a performance in the 1–0 FA Cup loss at home to non-League club Staines Town.

[10] The day after he signed, Elder scored his debut goal in AFC Wimbledon's 2–0 home win against Mansfield Town[11] and picked up the man of the match award.

[15] Elder joined Isthmian League South East Division club Sittingbourne as player-coach in August 2018 and was promoted into the role of assistant manager in February 2019.

[16][17] In September 2019, Elder left to Sittingbourne to link up with his former Maidstone team-mate Steve Watt, as his assistant manager at Hythe Town.