By ASHLEY NICKEL, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA and AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: 11:37 BST, 24 August 2026 | Updated: 14:28 BST, 24 August 2026
An AFL team's partying in traditional Mad Monday festivities amid an ongoing investigation into another team's alleged wild night has raised eyebrows.
The Richmond Tigers were spotted celebrating outside the Garfield Hotel in Garfield, a country town 80km southeast of Melbourne, on Monday.
Mad Monday is an AFL tradition which sees players cut loose after finishing the final game of their season, with Tigers players seen carrying an esky and drinking beers before playing a drinking game on the pub balcony.Â
At one point players were seen spanking the buttocks of a teammate in an apparent reference to the sexual assault allegations made following Sydney Swans players having a night out in Melbourne last week.
Richmond finished its last game with a 57-point loss against the Geelong Cats on Saturday.
They won three matches in the 2026 season, twice against West Coast and once against Essendon.
Tigers players were seen drinking pints of Guinness with eggs in them at the Garfield Hotel before taking off their shirts and sitting in the sun, some wearing local netball jerseys.
Other players were spotted whipping each other with belts, while another appeared to act out pole dancing.
Star youngster Sam Lalor smiles as pints of stout with eggs in them are lined up at the Garfield Hotel for Mad Monday celebrations
Tigers defender Tom Brown is open mouthed as a teammate does a spot of pole dancing
Some players went shirtless while others wore local netball jerseys
Kane Cornes, a Seven commentator, described the belt-whipping as 'embarrassing'.
'Firstly, what are you celebrating? It's a team that's finished 17th for the second season in a row,' he said.Â
