Kane Cornes Slams Geelong’s Mad Monday Antics as ‘Disrespectful’ and ‘Embarrassing’ After Grand Final Heartbreak
In the wake of Geelong’s crushing 47-point Grand Final defeat to the Brisbane Lions on September 27, 2025, the Cats’ annual Mad Monday celebrations have ignited a firestorm of controversy. What started as a lighthearted end-of-season tradition—players donning elaborate costumes for a “book week” themed gathering—quickly spiraled into backlash over perceived disrespect and immaturity. Leading the charge is AFL pundit and former Port Adelaide star Kane Cornes, who didn’t hold back in labeling the antics “disrespectful” and “one of the more embarrassing days” in Geelong’s storied history.
Cornes, a vocal critic known for his no-nonsense takes on player conduct, aired his grievances on SEN Trade Radio just days after the Lions hoisted the premiership cup. With Geelong’s season ending in a second-half demolition at the MCG, the optics of face paint, wigs, and celebrity impressions struck him as tone-deaf. “Geelong haven’t had many missteps, certainly off-field, for a fair amount of time,” Cornes said. “I thought that was one of the more embarrassing days at the Geelong Footy Club that I’ve seen in a while.”
The Costumes That Crossed the Line: A Breakdown of the Backlash
Geelong has long owned Mad Monday as a quirky ritual, with players organizing outfits mid-season for a post-Grand Final blowout. This year’s theme leaned into pop culture and self-deprecating jabs, but several choices drew sharp criticism for veering into mockery and insensitivity.
Max Holmes’ Caroline Wilson Impersonation: The Biggest Flashpoint
At the epicenter was young gun Max Holmes, 22, who dressed as veteran journalist Caroline Wilson—Cornes’ Channel 7 colleague and a trailblazer in AFL media. Holmes sported a wig, glasses, and a caption reading “Caro Wilson,” posing alongside captain Patrick Dangerfield. Cornes was livid: “Imagine Max Holmes thinking it’s a good idea to disrespect a legend of Australian football media in Caroline Wilson and trying to ridicule her… and have a photo of that and put the captain alongside of it.”
Holmes has form here, having lampooned SEN’s Gerard Whateley in 2023 and Channel 7’s Mitch Cleary in 2024. But Cornes argued this crossed a professional line, especially post-loss. “We’re not 12, it’s not year five. You look like an idiot,” he fumed, questioning if coach Chris Scott would approve amid ongoing club investigations.
Brad Close as ‘Catman’: Fan Mockery Gone Awry?
Brad Close, 24, channeled Geelong’s infamous superfan “Catman”—complete with face paint and a feline getup—arriving via a face painter. Cornes saw it as rubbing salt in the wound of the Grand Final thrashing: “You’re embarrassed on Grand Final Day, pretty much getting absolutely smashed… but then in the background somewhere, you have organised a face painter to have your face painted like a cat, to turn up and celebrate a 10-goal Grand Final.”
Close’s effort, meant as a nod to die-hard support, felt to critics like a juvenile distraction from the on-field failure.
Bailey Smith and the Deleted Posts: Sexual Innuendo Sparks Outrage
Bulldogs import Bailey Smith, 23, stirred the pot with a costume as Brad Pitt’s character from Legends of the Fall, but it was his social media that exploded. One post featured a sexual emoji directed at a female reporter, quickly deleted after backlash. Another, mocking Carlton’s Charlie Curnow, vanished amid the uproar.
Cornes lumped Smith in with the “embarrassing” quartet: “I thought Close, Holmes, Smith, Dangerfield—they embarrassed themselves yesterday.” Adding fuel, openly bisexual former player Mitch Brown called out Smith and Dangerfield for a post deemed homophobic, urging the club to “do better.”
Other Outfits: Hits and Misses
- Patrick Dangerfield and Rhys Stanley as Yellowstone Cowboys: Light fun, but Cornes dinged the skipper for endorsing the group antics.
- Ollie Dempsey and Sam De Koning as Cotton On Execs: A cheeky riff on the club’s third-party deal scrutiny—timely, but risky amid investigations.
- Mark Blicavs, Mark O’Connor, and Cillian Burke as Irish Rap Group Kneecap: Edgy, but passed without major flak.
Cornes’ History with Mad Monday: A Long-Standing Grudge
This isn’t Cornes’ first rodeo railing against end-of-season excesses. Back in 2018, he decried the “stupid Mad Monday craze,” reserving praise for Geelong alone: “I love it when Geelong does it, but they’re the only team that has rights to this stupid craze… If I see Carlton or Brisbane dressing up on Monday, I’m embarrassed for the players.” Seven years on, even the Cats aren’t spared—perhaps because their three-peat success (2007, 2009, 2011) during similar bashes no longer shields them from a 2025 perspective.
Cornes clarified he has no beef with the gathering itself: “Of course, they’re entitled to gather… a few quiet beers and celebrate a Grand Final loss.” It’s the “disrespectful” execution that grates, echoing broader AFL shifts toward accountability post-GWS’s 2024 suspensions for inappropriate behavior.
The Broader AFL Reaction: From Reddit Rants to Calls for Change
The backlash rippled across the footy world. On Reddit’s r/AFL, fans were divided: Some echoed Cornes (“Kane’s right. These dress up parties need to stop. They’re embarrassing”), while others defended Geelong’s harmless fun (“God I would hate to be such a stick in the mud… Players are allowed to dress up how they want”).
Mitch Brown’s pointed tweet amplified LGBTQ+ concerns, drawing from his own trailblazing 2023 coming-out. “Men who beat their wives don’t give a shit if Holmes is in a Caro wig or not,” one commenter snarked, highlighting perceived priorities. Geelong, tight-lipped so far, faces a familiar post-season microscope—especially with ongoing probes into their Cotton On ties and player conduct.
As the 2025 season dust settles, Cornes’ salvo underscores a tension in modern footy: Tradition versus maturity. Will Mad Monday evolve, or will the Cats’ flair endure? One thing’s clear—Kane Cornes won’t let it slide quietly.