The pub which hosted Richmond’s Mad Monday celebrations have addressed an incident in which players seemingly mocked the Sydney Swans.
The Tigers are investigating the conduct of their players after a video circulated online appeared to show players whipping each other with a belt.
Josh Smillie was one of the players involved, with the midfielder appearing to pull down his pants before feigning shock after being struck.
A teammate hits him three times and then Smillie overreacts to a fourth slap, though the players have denied it was a reference to the claim made by one woman at the centre of the Swans incident, who said she was slapped on the buttocks four times, not the agreed three.
The Garfield Hotel, the pub which hosted Richmond’s celebrations, responded with a statement after the video circulated online.
“We hosted the Richmond Football Club at our venue today, and we could not speak more highly of the way they conducted themselves,” the statement reads.
“For such a young group, they were extremely respectful and a fun group of boys to deal with.
“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. In our view, this has been blown out of proportion.
“Two members of the media were waiting on their arrival this morning and remained on site filming in the hope of capturing a misstep, which we consider disappointing.”
The club confirmed they are investigating the incident in a statement.
“Richmond is aware of a video circulating from a player end of season gathering,” the statement reads.
“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.”
It comes after the Swans stood down five players for breaching club standards following an incident at a Melbourne hotel last week.
Richmond’s season concluded with defeat to Geelong on Saturday, with the Tigers picking up just three wins all year.
News.com.au has contacted the club for comment.
Read related topics:Sydney