what is mad monday afl

Mad Monday in the AFL (Australian Football League) is the traditional end-of- season celebration where players, coaches, and staff come together the Monday after the regular season or finals to unwind and celebrate the highs and lows of the season. It is known for being a lively event where players often dress in humorous or outrageous costumes, engage in team bonding activities, and let loose after the pressures of a long season. However, Mad Monday has also been associated with controversy due to incidents of inappropriate behavior, offensive costumes, and social media posts by players, which has led to public backlash and calls for reform. For example, recently the Geelong Football Club apologized and decided to discontinue future Mad Monday celebrations in their current form after controversial costumes and behavior were widely criticized. The AFL has expressed dissatisfaction with certain Mad Monday behaviors but tends to leave disciplinary matters to the clubs themselves. In essence, while Mad Monday is meant to be a fun and unifying tradition for AFL teams, it has garnered mixed reactions due to some players' misconduct during the celebrations.