Footy boss slams the AFL for hitting Bailey Smith and his Geelong team-mates with a feather over their Mad Monday party

GWS Giants boss Dave Matthews has criticised the AFL for a lack of consistency after the league chose not to hand down sanctions to several Geelong players following their Mad Monday antics.

The Cats were forced to publish a statement on Tuesday apologising for their Mad Monday celebrations, after some players, including Bailey Smith and Max Holmes, caught the ire of some for social media posts and costumes they wore to the side’s post-season party.

AFL general manager Greg Swann stated that the league was ‘not thrilled’ by Geelong’s Mad Monday antics, but added that they would be leaving the matter for Geelong to deal with.

It comes as the club hosted its end-of-season awards ceremony on Wednesday night at Crown Melbourne.

Holmes, who had been criticised by footy great Kane Cornes earlier this week for dressing as Caroline Wilson, clinched his second straight Carji Greeves Medal as the Cats’ best and fairest player for 2025. Smith, who was criticised by former Eagles player Mitch Brown for comments he published on Instagram about the film Brokeback Mountain during the party, finished runner-up in the medal race, while Jeremy Cameron came third.

In the wake of the events that unfolded on Monday, the Cats have chosen to axe future post-season fancy dress parties.

The incident comes 12 months on from GWS’ shocking Wacky Wednesday scandal, which saw 13 players were sanctioned for breaching the league’s rules on unbecoming conduct.

And Matthews stated that he had been watching events unfold with a keen eye.

‘I’ve been an interested observer in what’s happened,’ Matthews said on Trade Radio.

‘Generally, I don’t speak about other clubs or other players, but I think this is a broader AFL issue in terms of the framework and process by which circumstances or sanctions are worked through.

‘I’ve said this before and I don’t think it’s news to [CEO] Andrew Dillon and Greg [Swann] Tom Harley [COO] coming in... we just need more consistency.

‘We need a framework that the fans, the players and the clubs understand. Because at the moment, there’s what’s happened, and then everybody is guessing about what happens next.’

Matthews added that he was, though, in favour with some of Swann’s comments.

‘I liked Greg’s comments yesterday about saying it’s a matter for the clubs and the clubs are equipped to deal with it. That’s certainly the way we felt last year when we became aware of what transpired.

‘We investigated it thoroughly, so did the AFL. Both the Giants and the AFL established the same set of facts, but we had a different view on sanctions. We’re the first club in the competition to establish an integrity committee, so I reckon we’re very well-equipped to be open and honest.

‘We don’t shy away from the fact there were issues on the day. We had a difference in opinion about the way sanctions should be provided.

‘I’m sure I’m going to get questions from players about how did we face game suspensions at the time, because we were proposing financial sanctions.’

He added: ‘Generally, I think players in the AFL are exceptionally well-behaved. From time to time, mistakes are made. Then there’s just got to be consistency in the way things are dealt with.’

Matthews also paid credit to Geelong after the footy club put out a statement, publicly apologising for the antics of their players.

‘Geelong Football Club sincerely apologises for the offence caused following our end of season gathering on Monday,’ the Cats’ statement read.

‘Certain costumes and associated social media posts were inappropriate and a significant error of judgment, and do not reflect our Team of All commitment.

‘The Club has decided future post-season events will not continue in this current form, and we will take this moment to further educate our people on expectations and Club and community standards.’

Swann revealed the AFL had spoken to Geelong and told members of the media earlier this week that the league had left the club to deal with the matter.

‘We've always - well, certainly in my time - we think the clubs are the best people to deal with it, their players,’ Swann, who was appointed to his role in June, said.

'We're not thrilled, obviously, with what happened - and nor are Geelong.

'So they're going to take some steps. I think there'll be something coming out this afternoon around that.

'And so we've pushed it down to them to deal with, so we've had some good chats to them about it.'

Thirteen GWS players were fined or suspended last year following the club’s Wacky Wednesday party.

Josh Fahey was handed a four-match suspension for dressing as ex-Parramatta Eels player Jarryd Hayne. Toby McMullin and Cooper Hamilton were also suspended for two matches after the pair simulated the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre, while wearing costumes that related to that event.

Captain, Toby Greene, and several other players were fined for showing a lack of leadership and failing to uphold the club’s values.

This week, Greene revealed how the club’s 2025 post-season celebrations unfolded, revealing that they were much ‘quieter’ than last year.

‘It was very low-key this year, we just had a catch-up all together and there was no dress-ups or anything like that,’ he told Channel 7.

‘It was very quiet.’

He again downplayed the nature of the party, adding: ‘I think it was just a given — it wasn’t really discussed.

‘It was very low-key.’