Geelong’s Wacky Wednesday tradition is rightfully known as the best post-season celebration the AFL has.

The Cats in recent years have set the benchmark for delivering the goods during the players’ end-of-year tomfoolery session.

The Cats have done it again in 2019, arriving at the Newtown Hotel in Cremorne on Wednesday in all shapes and sizes and all manner of unseemly get-ups.

It was superstar Patrick Dangerfield who stole the show last year, arriving to the function dressed as Canterbury Bulldogs star Adam Elliott — just one week after the NRL club was smashed with a $250,000 fine over a disastrous Mad Monday celebration.

It was Tom Stewart who delivered the goods early on Wednesday, posting a photo on Instagram of himself dressed up as Keanu Reeves’ action hero John Wick.

Mark Blicavs also had a strong early performance, posing while holding an Academy Award after he was earlier this year fined by the AFL for taking a dive against the Swans.

media_camera Mark Blicavs poked fun at his fine for staging.

That’s when photos of the club’s big-names began to surface and the whole game changed.

Dangerfield was spotted arriving in a police car, dressed as a fireman with an old Port Adelaide Power guernsey on underneath.

Dangerfield’s fireman’s jacket had the name “Cornes” stitched into one of the pockets — a clear dig at long-time sparring partner Kane Cornes.

Cornes and Dangerfield have traded words in public and on social media this year over a number of flashpoints.

Dangerfield said “nobody listens to him (Cornes)” in May after the former Power star suggested Dangerfield had been overplaying minor injuries.

media_camera Fireman Patrick Dangerfield arrives at wacky Wednesday at the Cremorne Hotel in Newtown. Picture: Alan Barber

“There are some people in the industry that you pay attention to their commentary and there are some that you don’t. He is in the latter,” Dangerfield said earlier in the year.

“Kane can say what he likes and he does. I think you get into a position though where you keep trotting down the same line and people start to dismiss your commentary.

“He is probably in that unfortunate position now where when he speaks people don’t really listen.”

Cornes’ brief cameo as a fireman following his footy career is a regular joke from panellists on The Sunday Footy Show and the same joke was too tantalising for Dangerfield to resist.

Cornes, however, responded almost immediately on Wednesday with his own stinging one-liner which poked fun at Dangerfield’s unfortunate record of never having won through to an AFL grand final.

Cornes himself won a flag with the Power in 2004 — and he was happy to remind Dangerfield all about it with a post on Twitter.

He forgot the premiership medal... pic.twitter.com/e8T0M160ik — Kane Cornes (@kanecornes) September 25, 2019

I’ll give you that! — Patrick Dangerfield (@dangerfield35) September 25, 2019

Meanwhile, Former Swan Gary Rohan dressed up as Chucky from Nickelodeon classic Rugrats.

media_camera Gary Rohan. Cats wacky Wednesday at the Cremorne Hotel in Newtown. Picture: Alan Barber

Joel Selwood strutted in as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.

media_camera Skipper Joel Selwood. Cats wacky Wednesday at the Cremorne Hotel in Newtown. Picture: Alan Barber

Gary Ablett hid his face behind the beard of Alan from The Hangover.

media_camera Baby number one = real. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

media_camera Gary Ablett second arrival? Cats wacky Wednesday at the Cremorne Hotel in Newtown. Picture: Alan Barber

Tom Hawkins may have rocked up dressed as teammate Rohan.

media_camera Geelong players arrive for Wacky Wednesday. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

media_camera Scott Selwood and Esava Ratugolea of the Cats arrive at the Geelong Cats post AFL season celebrations at the Cremorne Hotel on September 25, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Star tall Zac Smith came dressed as a toilet.

Zac Smith came as ... a toilet #wackywednesday pic.twitter.com/5H2QcBar0Q — Josh Barnes (@Josh__Barnes) September 25, 2019

Zach Guthrie and Rhys Stanley arrived as Marvel’s Captain America both before and after his superhero transformation.

media_camera Zach Guthrie and Rhys Stanley arrive at the Geelong Cats post AFL season celebrations.

Cats’ fan-favourite Harry Taylor went oldschool with a costume of Shawshank Redemption character Andy Dufresne, famously played by Tim Robbins in the Hollywood film.

media_camera Harry Taylor couldn’t get the Cats out of jail in the preliminary final.

Cameron Guthrie also came dressed as John Wick, but unlike teammate Stewart, he was sporting some fake blood patches and committed to the gag with a dog to complete his ensemble.

media_camera Cameron Guthrie wore it better.

The day will be a farewell for young midfielder Jordan Cunico and Jamaine Jones, who were officially delisted by the club this week.

The Cats announced the tough decisions on Tuesday.

The club is also yet to confirm its plans for superstar Gary Ablett after the 35-year-old’s future was thrown into uncertainty this week by claims he risks playing too long if he continues with the Cats in 2020.

Wacky Wednesday is also expected to be the unofficial farewell to superstar Tim Kelly, who is forecast to officially request a trade to West Coast or Fremantle this trade period.

Geelong coach Chris Scott said after the team’s loss to the Tigers Ablett must come to grips with whether he remains motivated to play at the highest level as a call looms on his AFL future.

Ablett met with Scott and list manager Stephen Wells on Monday, with the Cats turning their focus to next season after their preliminary final defeat to Richmond.

The 35-year-old has yet to publicly declare his intentions after a campaign in which he started strongly but his form dipped towards the end.

media_camera Patrick Dangerfield will be hard to beat. Picture: Mark Stewart

media_camera Mark O'Connor. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

media_camera Brandon Parfitt and Jordan Clark. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Scott said he hoped the two-time Brownlow Medallist would continue on for a 19th season but only under the right circumstances.

“If he decides, or even if he’s not sure, that he can do it, if he doesn’t quite have the belief that he can help us win a premiership next year, he should retire,” Scott told Fox Footy’s AFL360.

“That’s the decision that I think he’s coming to grips with. “Now if he thinks he can do it, then we’ve got a bit to talk about and I look forward to that.

“I hope it’s that way.” Scott said Ablett had to be prepared for what might happen if his form dropped off.

“Can he come to terms with how it might look if it doesn’t go as well as we’re all hoping?,” Scott pondered.

“That’s an unfortunate reality that we might have to face. You hope it never happens but there should be an understanding that if it does, we’re all going to handle it well.

“But it’s always easier to say in September or October, a lot harder to deliver on in July or August.”

— with AAP

Originally published as Brutal reply to AFL star’s costume sledge