The AFL has officially banned Mad Monday celebrations in the Sunshine State days after a punch up outside a Gold Coast kebab shop.
Richmond players Sydney Stack, 20, and Callum Coleman-Jones, 21 were suspended for ten games after they broke the AFL's return to play protocols.
Footage shows the pair brawling on Friday morning after they were allegedly kicked out of a strip club. They were given lengthy playing bans and hefty fines over the scuffle.
Since the scandal erupted the AFL has contacted all 18 club bosses to put a stop to end of year celebrations in a bid to keep the code's reputation intact.
Richmond players Sydney Stack, 20, and Callum Coleman-Jones, 21 were suspended for ten games after they broke the AFL's return to play protocols
Mad Monday is an sporting rite of passage where players dress up, and come together to drink and celebrate the end of the sporting season with their teammates.
Any decision to give this type of festivity the green-light was likely to be questioned by the public during a ban on large group gatherings during COVID-19.
Officials asked clubs as early as August 24, before the latest gaffe, to call off celebrations across Queensland due to COVID-19, reported the Herald Sun.
Teams from New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia will be allowed to celebrate when they return home.
It is unlikely Victorian clubs will allow large gatherings upon their exit from Queensland while restrictions remain in place.
In Queensland private gatherings indoors are currently limited to ten people but licensed venues with COVID-safe plans are allowed larger numbers.
An AFL spokesman confirmed the decision to cancel this year's celebrations.
The AFL has officially banned Mad Monday celebrations in the Sunshine State only days after a punch up outside a Gold Coast kebab shop (Pictured: Richmond players Oleg Markov, Callum Moore and Brandon Ellis dress up for Mad Monday in 2019)
Sydney Stack, 20, and Callum Coleman-Jones, 21, landed the Richmond Football Club $100,000 fine over their actions
Queensland Police said in a statement that two men were issued with an infringement notice for public nuisance (violent behaviour). Pictured: Callum Coleman-Jones
Sydney Stack, 20, and Callum Coleman-Jones, 21, landed the Richmond Football Club $100,000 fine over their actions.
The pair were ordered to pay $75,000 as well as facing lengthy playing bans and being kicked of Queensland by authorities.
The AFL said the pair breached the code's return to play protocols by taking an Uber, visiting a non-approved Gold Coast venue and becoming involved in the incident which required police intervention.
Footage from a kebab shop allegedly shows the pair fighting in the street.
'Stack was detained by police and released a short time after,' an AFL statement read.
The pair were involved in an altercation after being evicted from Hollywood Showgirls on the glitter strip's Orchid Ave at 3.30 Friday morning
The Richmond Tigers during the 2019 Mad Monday celebrations
Under the AFL's COVID-safe plan players are only allowed to visit approved venues.
While official Mad Monday celebrations will be banned, some players are already organising to stay in Queensland for holidays when the season is over.
By then they will have have checked out of AFL hubs across Queensland, meaning they no longer need to comply with the code's COVID-19 protocols.
An official announcement is expected from Queensland Chief Health officer Dr Jeannette Young for players on post-season holidays.
