Richmond denies players 'making light' of Swans scandal on Mad Monday

The Richmond Football Club says players were not "referencing or making light of recent matters" in videos circulating from the team's post-season celebrations. Media camped outside the venue filmed players spanking each other on the rear. The venue that hosted the Tigers for their Mad Monday drinks has lauded them for being "extremely respectful". The Richmond Football Club has denied its players were "referencing or making light of recent matters" in footage recorded during their post-season celebrations. Tiger players were recorded during a drinking session at a Victorian country pub, with one player seen feigning shock after being spanked on his rear by a teammate. Another teammate whips a fellow player on the back with a belt in footage captured by news outlets on Monday, leading to speculation they were referencing the ongoing Sydney Swans scandal. The club denied that was the case. "Richmond is aware of a video circulating from a player end of season gathering," a statement read. "The club has spoken to the players who have expressed their embarrassment over their behaviour. "The players are adamant they were in no way referencing or making light of recent matters." The Tigers finished second last this season with a 3-20 win-loss record. The pub that hosted Richmond's drinks said the controversy had been blown out of proportion. "In our view, this has been blown out of proportion," the Garfield Hotel, 80 kilometres east of Melbourne, said in a statement posted on social media. The hotel said it "could not speak more highly" of how players behaved. "For such a young group, they were extremely respectful and a fun group of boys to deal with," the statement read. "They enjoyed a few quiet beers to unwind after a long season, and we see nothing wrong with that. "They had booked out the venue for the afternoon, so they were the only patrons on site. "They enjoyed their afternoon and moved on." The hotel noted media were waiting for the Tigers players "in the hope of capturing a misstep, which we consider disappointing". "I have been asked a lot in recent days, what message football should be sending young people and what we should be saying to our kids," Dillon said. "For me, the answer is straightforward: it doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter what you do, whether you're an AFL footballer — the way we treat women says a lot about who we are as people, as a community and as a game. "Quite simply, respect for women is not negotiable." Dillon said the actions of the five suspended Swans players had "fallen well short of the standards our game expects and community deserves". "While there are players involved, we cannot lose sight of the bigger picture. More importantly, there are women who have made a report to police and they should be shown care and respect," he said. The ABC of SPORT Sports content to make you think... or allow you not to. A newsletter delivered each Saturday. [Image text:] KFC KFC ISFC