Catman to Caroline Wilson: Inside Geelong's Mad Monday

• AFL Trade news live - Monday 29.09

Geelong’s well-known Mad Monday celebrations have kicked off with some interesting costume choices to say the least.

The annual Mad Monday party is under way at The Wharf Shed, with the media and photographers waiting for the players following their 47-point loss to the Lions in Saturday’s AFL Grand Final.

While some players vary their costumes from year to year, Max Holmes has continued his trend of dressing up as media personalities.

In 2023, he dressed up as SEN’s Gerard Whateley.

Last year, he was caught impersonating Channel 7’s Mitch Cleary.

And in 2025, he has dressed up as the co-host of SEN’s Don’t Shoot the Messenger and Channel 7's The Agenda Setters, Caroline Wilson with some arrows to boot.

Sam De Koning and Ollie Dempsey have poked some fun at the rumours surrounding Geelong allegedly circumventing the salary cap through third-party deals.

They were seen arriving at the venue in an Aston Martin with a Cotton On logo covering the number plate, with Dempsey having the logo on his singlet, carrying brown paper bags.

Patrick Dangerfield and Rhys Stanley have also rocked up, chucking on their finest cowboy outfit in a tribute to the TV show Yellowstone with a custom decal on their ute.

And Brad Close has paid tribute to one of Geelong's most notable fans in Catman while Bailey Smith has dressed as Tristan Ludlow from the 1994 film Legends of the Fall which features Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins.

"I've never watched the movie," he told News Corp. "It's Legends of the Fall. Brad Pitt has me covered, it was last minute.

"Ready to pin the ears back. Ready to go. I haven't sunk piss all week so I'm due."