Kane Cornes calls out Geelong’s ‘disrespectful’ Mad Monday antics as Mitch Brown says ‘do better’

Kane Cornes has called out Geelong’s Mad Monday antics, naming Brad Close, Max Holmes, Bailey Smith and captain Patrick Dangerfield as the four most “embarrassing” players.

The Cats’ annual dress-up went ahead just two days after losing the AFL grand final to Brisbane.

The latest edition drew some laughs, notably with Ollie Dempsey and Sam De Koning poking fun at salary cap rumours, but it was not without controversy.

Smith deleted an Instagram post referencing Carlton’s Charlie Curnow and also came under scrutiny for a post with Holmes, who dressed up as veteran journalist Caroline Wilson, and another with Dangerfield.

Cornes said those three Cats players and Close stood out.

“Imagine getting embarrassed on grand final day pretty much, getting absolutely smashed,” he said on SEN.

“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 loss. Are you celebrating a 10-goal grand final loss?

“I’m talking about Brad Close, who at some point last week thought, you know what, we’re going to win the premiership. I’m going to organise a face painter.

“I’m going to sit down for an hour or 90 minutes and get my face painted after we’ve been smashed and I’ve had 12 touches in a grand final. And then I’m going to turn up while my supporters are still hurting and celebrate a grand final smashing.”

Cornes called out Holmes’ portrayal of Wilson and Smith’s since-deleted inappropriate post with his teammate.

“Imagine Max Holmes thinking it’s a good idea to disrespect a legend of Australian football media in Caroline Wilson, dressing up as her and trying to ridicule her and have a photo of that and put the caption alongside of that,” he said.

“Geelong haven’t had many missteps, certainly off-field, for a fair amount of time. I thought that was one of the more embarrassing days at the Geelong Footy Club that I’ve seen in a while.

“Now, this isn’t new. They’ve owned this space for a long, long period of time. But at some point in time with the issues that there has been in and around dress-ups, clubs have just got to say, hey, you know what? It’s not book week. We’re not in year five.

“Let’s just turn up in a shirt and some jeans and have a good day, a few quiet beers, and celebrate a grand final loss where we got smashed in the second half because we don’t need to dress up and make ourselves look like fools.

“And I thought Close, Holmes, Smith, Dangerfield — I thought they embarrassed themselves yesterday.”

Multiple GWS Giants players were sanctioned by the AFL last off-season for dressing up in offensive costumes.

Ex-AFL player Mitch Brown, who recently came out as bisexual, was also disappointed with Smith’s post with Dangerfield in a pose referencing Brokeback Mountain.

Brown first published a picture of deceased Australian actor Heath Ledger, who played one of the lead characters in the movie.

“Just for the record, Heath Ledger’s way hotter,” Brown joked.

But then Brown added in a separate post: “In all seriousness though, guys do better. Last time I checked, losing a grand final doesn’t make you gay, but being homophobic definitely makes you a loser.”

- with AAP