Sunday at 7: 13 p. m. ET — caroline wilson has once again hit out at Bailey Smith and the Geelong Football Club over last year’s Mad Monday social-media posts, and the immediate facts and public reactions are confirmed while the club’s next actions remain unresolved.
Caroline Wilson’s criticism and the Instagram exchanges
CONFIRMED FACT — In a public address, the Channel Seven star branded Bailey Smith “gutless” and said he “makes horrible comments about women. ” CONFIRMED FACT — Wilson also wrote in an October column that Smith’s Instagram caption about her was “insulting and sexist. ” Still, she described the sweat-droplets emoji on the post as “disgusting” and said she had to ask her daughter to explain its meaning.
Bailey Smith’s Mad Monday posts and the images involved
CONFIRMED FACT — Bailey Smith, aged 25, posed for an Instagram photograph with teammate Max Holmes at the team’s Mad Monday party. CONFIRMED FACT — Max Holmes appeared in the photo dressed as Wilson while Smith wore a costume evoking Tristan Ludlow from the film Legends of the Fall and captioned the image, “Caro has never looked better, ” adding a sweat-droplets emoji. CONFIRMED FACT — Separate Instagram material involving Smith and Patrick Dangerfield included an embrace and a reference to the film Brokeback Mountain in its caption.
Yet, INITIAL REPORTS INDICATE that some members of the LGBTQAI+ community were enraged by the Brokeback Mountain reference, and Geelong subsequently issued an apology for the inappropriate Mad Monday outfits. CONFIRMED FACT — Geelong stated the end-of-season function would no longer “continue in this current form. “
Geelong’s apology, Wilson’s 3AW interview, and unresolved club steps
CONFIRMED FACT — Three months after the Mad Monday scandal, Wilson explained during an interview with 3AW that she was disappointed in how the AFL club reacted and reiterated her view that Smith is “troubled. ” CONFIRMED FACT — In that interview she noted Smith had a strong on-field season, finishing third in the Brownlow Medal vote and helping the club reach a Grand Final.
UNCONFIRMED — unconfirmed as of 7: 13 p. m. ET whether Geelong will publicly announce further disciplinary measures, policy changes for end-of-season events, or other steps beyond the apology and the statement that the function will not “continue in this current form. ” That specific club response remains unresolved in the available reporting.
Still, observable signals that would resolve the uncertainty include any new, formal Geelong statement or an official club policy announcement about end-of-season events; another public interview in which Wilson expands on her October column or her 3AW comments would also clarify whether her stance has shifted since then.
CONFIRMED FACT — The public record in the available reporting includes Wilson’s column, the Instagram images and captions, Geelong’s apology and the 3AW interview. UNCONFIRMED — unconfirmed as of 7: 13 p. m. ET are whether the club will enact further sanctions or permanently restructure its post-season events.
Yet, each of those possible developments would change the stakes: if Geelong confirms policy changes, the club could alter how end-of-season functions are run; if no further action is confirmed, public criticism and questions about club culture are likely to persist.
Confirmed next reporting that moved the story included Wilson’s October column and her follow-up comments on 3AW three months after the scandal. No specific future event is identified in the available reporting as the next confirmed update. UNCONFIRMED — unconfirmed as of 7: 13 p. m. ET whether Geelong will issue a further official statement or whether Bailey Smith will make a public response. If Geelong issues a further official statement, the club’s position on ending the function in its current form will be clarified by that announcement.
