After years of scandals, the mere mention of the words ‘Mad Monday’ is enough to send shivers down the spine of the media teams at any AFL club.
While some celebrations go off without a hitch and see footy stars enjoy a few drinks and a bit of fancy dress, the end-of-season parties have a dark side that has spawned stacks of controversies over the years – and even umpires aren’t immune to the fallout.
Here are some of the wildest, most controversial, and hilarious moments to come out of AFL Mad Monday celebrations in the modern era.
Star gets dumped by his girlfriend in spectacular fashion
Being the partner of a footy player can be tough, as former Footscray ruckman Simon Atkins (pictured above) knows all too well. After the Bulldogs lost the 1992 qualifying final, there were no costumes or flair about their Mad Monday celebrations – just two days straight of solid contemplation and drinking.
That was too much for his girlfriend Shannon, who had all of his belongings and an eviction notice delivered to Melbourne’s Albert Hotel, where the players were drowning their sorrows.
‘I think that will work itself out, though,’ he laughed when asked about the delivery by media.
‘It’s a bit of a joke, I think. I hope.’
Jason Akermanis gets barred from the Brownlow Medal
AFL firebrand Jason Akermanis was known for being a big personality during his playing days
He reportedly got so drunk at Mad Monday celebrations during his time at the Western Bulldogs that his wife Megan (pictured together) told him to skip the Brownlow ceremony
Akermanis revealed that after a particularly heavy Mad Monday, he was in no condition to front up at the 2009 Brownlow Medal count, and his wife Megan sensibly told him to stay home.
When critics accused Megan of being a ‘princess’ for the couple’s no-show, Akermanis fired back, saying she had no desire for attention and was only trying to save him from embarrassment.
He explained that Megan was actually very understanding about the whole situation, insisting that she never seeks the spotlight and simply wanted what was best for him.
While Megan was left disappointed about returning her designer gown and letting down the people who had helped her prepare for footy’s night of nights, she joked that she would just keep it in the cupboard for the following year.
Akermanis, meanwhile, was pleased to at least get the chance to wear his new ‘Oceans 13-inspired’ Soho Workshop suit on The Footy Show’s Grand Final edition later that week.
Brendan Fevola courts controversy twice during his heady days
Fevola was also banned from appearing on the Grand Final Footy Show after he infamously interviewed players and WAGs at the 2009 Brownlow Medal while heavily intoxicated
Fevola kissed Sydney Swans midfielder Ryan O’Keefe as part of his booze-fuelled rampage
Brendan Fevola cemented his reputation for outrageous Mad Monday antics when he chose Melbourne’s busiest pedestrian intersection to stage a stunt in a nightie with a sex toy stuffed in his pants in 2008.
The former Carlton and Brisbane forward shocked and offended passers-by as he strutted near Flinders Street Station, holding a beer and proudly displaying the plastic prop.
The controversy didn’t end there. A year later, the same toy made a return appearance during another Carlton pub crawl.
Fevola, clearly intoxicated, was photographed at Naughton’s Hotel swinging the sex toy above his head as fellow players partied around him.
Patrons complained about the behaviour of several Blues footballers, adding to the fallout and scrutiny around the club’s culture at the time.
Jimmy Bartel’s schoolgirl costume branded ‘poor taste’
Geelong stars Jimmy Bartel (left) and Mitch Duncan courted controversy for their Ricky Nixon and St Kilda Schoolgirl costume team-up
Jimmy Bartel sparked controversy in 2011 when he turned up to Mad Monday dressed as the infamous ‘St Kilda Schoolgirl’ Kim Duthie, complete with a jumper featuring her initials.
He arrived hand-in-hand with teammate Mitch Duncan, who took the joke further by appearing in his underwear to mimic disgraced player manager Ricky Nixon.
The costumes referenced a scandal that had rocked the AFL, when Duthie leaked nude photos of St Kilda players and Nixon was caught visiting her in a hotel room.
The skit drew sharp criticism, with Geelong MP Ian Trezise calling it inappropriate and AFL legend Ron Barassi declaring it lacked class and taste.
Bartel, however, defended the choice, insisting it was meant as light-hearted fun after a long season and that he hoped people would see it as a harmless joke.
Saints star sets a dwarf on fire
Dwarf entertainer Blake Johnston was hired for St Kilda’s Mad Monday celebrations in 2013
Former St Kilda tagger Clinton Jones (pictured) set the entertainer’s clothes on fire, earning himself a $3000 fine
St Kilda midfielder Clinton Jones was fined $3000 after setting dwarf entertainer Blake Johnston’s clothes alight during Mad Monday celebrations in South Melbourne.
The 2013 incident occurred while Johnston was speaking to another player, with Jones using a gas lighter to ignite his clothing.
Johnston later confirmed he had received apologies from both Jones and the St Kilda Football Club, as well as the AFL.
He said he accepted the apology and would not be pursuing further action, adding that Jones had offered to donate to a charity of Johnston’s choosing, the Kids with Cancer Foundation Australia.
Jones publicly expressed regret, admitting his behaviour was ‘childish’ and describing the act as an error of judgment.
Melbourne Demons’ shocking choice of Mad Monday costume
Dean Terlich (left) and Alex Georgiou’s decision to dress as a convicted child sex offender and a young woman went down like a lead balloon
Melbourne Demons Dean Terlich and Alex Georgiou were sanctioned by the club for dressing up as Rolf Harris and a young girl for their 2014 Mad Monday celebrations.
Harris was convicted as a child sex offender that year, leaving then-coach Paul Roos incredulous over their choice of costumes
‘I was just speechless [when informed about the outfits]. I just don’t understand it,’ he said.
‘The problem with days like yesterday is they just don’t think. There is no malice, there’s no intent, there’s just no thought process goes into it and I think that is the worst part about it.
‘Some people take the view boys will be boys, I don’t take that view, it’s just unacceptable.’
Dusty in hot water for groping
Dustin ‘Dusty’ Martin was a talisman for the Richmond Tigers as the team won three premierships from 2017 to 2020
After the Tigers’ 2015 season ended, Martin was snapped with a topless woman (pictured) as part of Mad Monday celebrations
In 2015, Richmond star Dustin Martin became embroiled in controversy after allegations surfaced from the Tigers’ Mad Monday celebrations.
Reports claimed Martin had been involved in an incident in which he was filmed groping a topless woman during the post-season party.
The story quickly gained traction in the media, sparking outrage and prompting questions about the culture surrounding end-of-season festivities.
At the time, the AFL was under pressure to address off-field behaviour, and the claims against Martin intensified the scrutiny.
Richmond confirmed they were aware of the allegations but no charges were laid, and the matter did not progress legally.
Martin was also cleared of any wrongdoing by the AFL.
Cordy gets the wobbly boot
The sun was still high in the sky when Western Bulldogs star Zaine Cordy (centre) ran into trouble during the side’s Mad Monday in 2022
Cordy’s teammates had to haul him into a taxi
In 2022, Western Bulldogs premiership defender Zaine Cordy made headlines for an incident that quickly went viral.
Outside a Melbourne pub, Cordy was spotted in a wobbly state before being ‘carried’ and put in a taxi by mates to make sure he got home safely.
Video footage captured him staggering and needing support, with onlookers laughing as the Bulldogs big man was bundled into the back seat.
Social media erupted, with fans and commentators dubbing it one of the funnier off-season footy moments rather than a scandal.
The club was quick to downplay the drama, saying there was no suggestion of illegal behaviour or serious misconduct.
Cordy, known as a laid-back character in the Dogs’ ranks, took the ribbing in good humour.
Cameron and the cow
Jeremy Cameron is about as bush kid as they come. So when Geelong won the premiership in 2022, he decided to take the celebrations back to his rural Victorian property.
At some point, he thought it would be a good idea to hang his premiership medal around the neck of one of his cows.
‘We’ve done something very silly here,’ he posted at around 4am.
‘Umm, can I have my medal back…?
‘Let him have it for the night. Get out there, enjoy it, it’s for all of us,’ he slurred as the cow ran free into the night.
Getting it back proved problematic, but Cameron had it sorted.
Despite little sleep, Cameron fronted the Cats’ supporters day at Kardinia Park on the following Sunday, medal safely around his neck after an early-morning wrangle.
‘I don’t know who came up with the idea,’ he said on stage.
Geelong and ‘dad’s army’
Tom Hawkins (centre) and the Cats had the last laugh after being dubbed too old to win the premiership in 2022
Mitch Duncan of the Cats sits on his walking frame as he pours his beer into a tea cup as part of the celebrations
Fresh from demolishing Sydney in the 2022 grand final, the Cats leaned into the constant jibes about being too old to win the premiership by turning the joke on themselves.
Star players hobbled into the pub for Mad Monday with walking frames and mobility scooters, while others wore grey wigs, cardigans and slippers.
Tom Hawkins, Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood were among those who embraced the gag, drawing roars of laughter from fans and cameras waiting outside.
The theme was a cheeky nod to critics who claimed the Cats were too far past it to win another flag, and the stunt turned into a viral hit.
GWS push the boundaries too far
The AFL took a dim view of Giants player Josh Fahey (pictured) dressing up as NRL star Jarryd Hayne, issuing him a four-match ban
Simply moving Mad Monday to a different day is not a licence to do what you please, as GWS found out in 2024.
Thirteen GWS Giants players were sanctioned by the AFL following a controversial post-season ‘Wacky Wednesday’ party that had a ‘Controversial Couples’ theme.
Young midfielder Josh Fahey received the harshest penalty, a four-game suspension, after he dressed as NRL star Jarryd Hayne and performed a skit with a blow-up doll.
Jake Riccardi was banned for two games for appearing as a taxi driver alongside Fahey, while Toby McMullin and Cooper Hamilton were also given two-game suspensions after they staged a skit that mocked the September 11 terror attacks.
Harvey Thomas and Joe Fonti were handed the same penalty after they acted out a routine where Thomas dressed as a high-profile athlete, believed to be NBA player Josh Giddey, and Fonti played a young girl.
AFL boss Andrew Dillon condemned the acts, saying he felt ‘disbelief and then disappointment’, and labelled the behaviour conduct unbecoming after a complaint was lodged.
Umpires get in trouble too
AFL umpire Leigh Haussen earned a one-week ban for dressing as Osama Bin Laden during the officials’ Mad Monday celebrations last year
Bin Laden became the target of an international man hunt after claiming responsibility for the September 11 attacks in the United States
It is not just the players who have landed in hot water for post-season celebrations gone too far. In 2024, AFL umpire Leigh Haussen was suspended for one round after dressing up as Osama Bin Laden for the officials’ Mad Monday party.
The event was held in a private room in a Melbourne restaurant the day after the grand final, but the AFL learned of his costume and acted swiftly.
‘The theme for the gathering was “characters from the 2000s”,’ the AFL said.
‘[Haussen] changed into costume at the venue and wore a mask for only a short period of time before removing it.
‘He cooperated fully with the investigation after the AFL was made aware of the function and apologised for wearing the costume which was inappropriate, offensive and in poor taste.’
Haussen admitted his choice of costume was ‘inappropriate and offensive’.
The kings of fancy dress
Geelong have built a reputation as the undisputed kings of Mad Monday costumes, consistently outshining rival clubs with their creativity.
Year after year, Cats players deliver unforgettable looks, from pensioners with walking frames to spot-on pop culture parodies.
Their commitment to detail and group themes has made Geelong’s Mad Monday outfits a fan favourite and a highlight of the post-season.
James Kelly is dressed as a Nintendo Gameboy as he arrives at the Geelong Cats’ post-season celebrations in 2014
Harry Taylor of the Cats dressed as Ned Kelly in another impressive costume choice
George Horlin-Smith was often sledged for looking like television host Ellen DeGeneres, so he played up to it
Nathan Vardy dressed as The Mask, the comic book character that Jim Carrey brought to life on the big screen
Left to right: Josh Cowan, Jordan Murdoch, Cameron Guthrie and Mark Blicavs with an inflatable dragon for their Game of Thrones-inspired Mad Monday costumes
James Toohey arrives in style as Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame
Joel Selwood dresses as Mick Fanning, playing up the champion surfer’s infamous great white shark encounter in South Africa
Collingwood costumes
The ‘Pies are not only the biggest club in the AFL, they also know how to party. Most of their Mad Monday celebrations have come after finals campaigns, and often premierships.
So over the years they have compiled a list of impressive costume choices at their end-of-season events.
Isaac Quaynor dressed as F1 champion Lewis Hamilton while Bobby Hill provided him with a security detail on Mad Monday
Mason Cox rocked up in a dinosaur costume that was a good fit for the Texan’s tall frame
Left to right: Scott Pendlebury, Jordan De Goey and Jeremy Howe arrived as characters from the TV show Peaky Blinders
Some Magpies fancy-dress highlights include players dressing up as characters from TV hits like Peaky Blinders and Game of Thrones, and Isaac Quaynor nailing his look as F1 legend Lewis Hamilton.
But towering ruckman Mason Cox gets the best and fairest here for dressing up as a T-Rex dinosaur.
