Richmond Players Filmed Whipping Each Other at Mad Monday Pub Bash, Club Denies Mocking Swans Scandal
Richmond AFL players have been filmed whipping each other with a belt during post-season Mad Monday celebrations at a pub in south-east Melbourne, drawing the club into a public controversy it insists is a misunderstanding.
An eight-second video sourced by 7NEWS and published by ABC News shows players at a drinking session at the Garfield Hotel, about 80 kilometres east of Melbourne. In the footage, one player whips a teammate on the back with a belt while another feigns shock after being spanked. Mad Monday is the long-standing AFL tradition where players let off steam after the season ends.
The timing is uncomfortable. The footage emerged the same week AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon fronted media for the first time since the Sydney Swans scandal began on August 24. Five Swans players have been suspended, and Dillon said their actions had fallen short of the standards the game expects. "Respect for women is not negotiable," Dillon said, while adding that the actions of a few don't define the entire industry (ABC News).
The Australian reported that the footage showed Richmond players re-enacting alleged scenes relating to the Sydney Swans sexual assault furore during their pub celebrations (The Australian). 7NEWS said the video could spark a fresh headache for the AFL (7NEWS).
Richmond has flatly denied the players were making light of the Swans situation. The club said it had spoken to the players involved, who expressed embarrassment over their behaviour and were adamant they were not referencing or making light of recent matters (ABC News).
The Garfield Hotel backed the players, saying the controversy had been blown out of proportion and speaking highly of their behaviour throughout the event (ABC News).
A federal politician also publicly called out Richmond over the footage (Nine News), adding political pressure to a story that was already gaining traction across media outlets.
The season itself gave Richmond little to celebrate. The Tigers finished second last in the 2026 AFL season with a 3-20 win-loss record, making the post-season revelry a rare chance to move on from a difficult year.
For a club already facing a rebuild after three wins from 23 games, the Mad Monday footage is another unwanted distraction. Whether the belt-swinging was harmless hijinks or something more pointed depends on who you believe — but the AFL has made clear this week that the line between the two matters more than ever.
