Have AFL clubs given up on Mad Monday? These past incident might be why

SETTING a dwarf on fire, wearing pink nighties and brandishing sex toys in Federation Square … AFL Mad Monday celebrations were big and bad for a while. But have we seen the end of them?

Setting a dwarf on fire, wearing pink nighties and brandishing sex toys in Federation Square … AFL Mad Monday celebrations were big for a while. But have we seen the end of them?

SETTING a dwarf on fire, wearing strap-on sex toys under pink nighties and waking up butt-naked on the street.

Mad Monday celebrations have earned quite an unsavoury reputation over the years.

But is there something a bit different about this year?

In the week after the season ended for a bunch of AFL teams, where were the usual flood of Instagram posts of wacky costumes and general frivolity? Barely a word about Mad Monday has been spoken.

Are they keeping those end-of-season celebrations secret — or just keeping them nice?

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Ex- Carlton player Brendan Fevola wearing his infamous pink nightie in 2009.

Did Mad Monday go too far?

There have been a few moments that really tainted the Mad Monday brand in recent years.

There was St Kilda footballer Clinton Jones setting fire to a dwarf entertainer in 2013.

There Carlton star Brendan Fevola strapping a sex toy to his body and hitting girls with it in Federation Square in 2009?

Then there was the time Melbourne players Dean Terlich Alex Georgiou dressed in costumes that appeared to be of the disgraced musician Rolf Harris and a girl.

The day’s reputation even caught the attention of WWE star Baron Corbin, who shared war stories with former NFL teammate and ex-Geelong star Ben Graham.

“He (Graham) was so cool. The stories he would tell me … you guys are nuts,” Corbin told Fox Sports.

“They would do, at the end of the season, they’d take all their fine money and have just a huge party.

Celebrity dwarf Blake 'Mr Big' Johnston — who sued St Kilda FC after Clinton Jones set him alight on Mad Monday celebrations. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

“And he told me about one time waking up in the street, butt naked, with a toothbrush somewhere it shouldn’t have been.”

Maybe the public disapproval came when every losing club started dressing up as cartoon or movie characters in public view, as their supporters mourned their season’s failure.

Should clubs ditch Mad Monday altogether?

Ex-Port Adelaide star Kane Cornes last week called for a blanket ban on the day, saying he’s ‘embarrassed’ for the players who dress up.

“I’ve got no issue with the players going out and having a drink and celebrating,” Cornes told the AFL Nation pregame show.

“I’ve got an issue for the Port Adelaide supporter who’s booked their finals tickets, they’re at work on a Monday, they’ve had a hard slog through the year and they turn on the news and see their players dressed up as Where’s Wally or Captain Cook or whoever, carrying on like idiots.”

Cornes said Geelong should be the only club that celebrates.

Dean Terlich and Alex Georgiou (right) chose controversial costumes.

“I love it when Geelong does it, but they’re the only team that has rights to this stupid craze of dressing up. They’re successful. They won three flags doing it and good on them,” he told AFL Nation.

“If I see Carlton or Brisbane dressing up on Monday, I’m embarrassed for the players that do it.

Bulldogs star Bob Murphy doesn’t think the day should be banned.

“I think we need to tinker with it, I think a blanket ban of it is a bit over the top,” he told SEN on Wednesday.

“Stop calling it Mad Monday. It’s a wake. It’s a season wake. When I started, it was the wake. You rock up and it’s a slow, quiet beer … there would be a sombre tone.”

Murphy said clubs should also ease up on the fancy dress,

“Get rid of the dress up. That was a Geelong thing. That was a private thing for Geelong,” he said.

“They did it really well. Everyone else did it and it was a watered down thing. It was like ‘Diet Geelong.’”

Mad Monday, in Murph’s view, should be private.

Brendan Fevola dresses as SpongeBob SquarePants in. 2016. Picture: David Crosling

Geelong's Mad Monday: Jimmy Bartel as the St Kilda schoolgirl.

Matthew Scarlett dressed as Hannibal Lecter gets unloaded from a taxi by Corey Enright and Darren Milburn.

“No photos. No Instagram. Don't let people in, close the doors and sit around have a beer tell a few stories and keep it in house. You’re mourning the season you haven’t had.”

Garry Lyon, who hosts the SEN breakfast show, said allowing the media into Mad Monday celebrations had always happened — but there were boundaries to obey.

“The media used to come. They’d get a grab then they’d put their camera away and stay and have a beer.”

As for the 2018 celebrations, few clubs seem to have made a big deal of it.

“We’ll just have a good day together and enjoy each other’s company,” St Kilda’s Jarryn Geary told 7 News.

Richmond holding their "Mad Monday" at the Sporting Globe, Bridge Road Richmond. Picture: Jason Edwards

Tigers stars Kane Lambert and Jayden Short. Picture: Jason Edwards

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