AFLW Carlton star Darcy Vescio says 'punching down' on Mad Monday must end

Inaugural Carlton AFLW star Darcy Vescio has urged players to "not punch down" when dressing up for end-of-season celebrations.

Speaking at the AFLW's Pride Round launch, Vescio has explained how all players need to be cognisant of their role-model status.

Geelong confirmed it was going to ditch its Mad Monday celebrations after widespread criticism of some controversial costumes and questionable social media antics, notably from star Bailey Smith, following the grand final defeat to the Brisbane Lions.

In a caption of a photo with Cats captain Patrick Dangerfield, Smith referenced the movie Brokeback Mountain, which depicts a complex romantic relationship between two cowboys, and wrote "this is what losing a granny does to ya".

Former West Coast defender Mitch Brown, the first AFL player to publicly reveal he is bisexual, was unimpressed.

"Perhaps something that didn't mean to be hurtful can quickly become hurtful when it's picked up," Vescio, who came out as non-binary in 2021, said on Wednesday.

"If you think it's not something that you should be worried about, it's probably because you've never been impacted by that or never been the butt of the joke.

"If we minimise this stuff as well, it just sends the message that it's OK for certain people to always be the butt of the joke.

"But just making sure we're not punching down is really important and understanding that what you do matters."

Vescio also said that the men's game could do more to support LGBTQIA+ community and that AFLW players could help AFL players understand more about it.

"The moment we saw Mitch Brown come out [as bisexual] showed that we are moving forward," said Vescio, who also designed this year's Pride Round ball.

"But we've also seen some backlash, and the way different clubs have either embraced that story or just let it slide by.

"Having someone like Mitch Brown feel comfortable sharing his full identity hopefully will encourage others to do the same and show men that they can be allies and proud allies, and that's not something they need to shy away from."

Brown will visit the Western Bulldogs' AFLW program on Thursday ahead of the club's blockbuster Pride Round clash with Essendon at the Whitten Oval on Friday night.

Bulldogs defender Isabella Grant hailed Brown's announcement as inspiring.

"For him to feel safe is a bit of a reflection on society," Grant said.

"Even older generations who grew up identifying as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, it was not safe at all.

"Not just metaphorically, but physically, it was unsafe.

"To know that we've gotten to that place where we are now is pretty special, and it's very inspiring."

AAP