South Bunbury club president apologised after wearing Charlie Kirk costume at Mad Monday

South Bunbury Football Club apologised on Friday after its president, Nicky Waite, attended a Mad Monday party dressed as American political commentator Charlie Kirk, complete with a blood-drip wound to the neck. The outfit was worn to celebrate the SWFL grand final victory over Busselton, with the club's theme asking guests to dress as a 'famous dead person'.

Waite wore blue jeans and a white shirt with the word Freedom across the chest, plus a red Make America Great Again cap and fake blood dripping from the neck. The club noted Waite, who became the SWFL club's first female president in January 2024, has apologised and said she did not intend to offend. "My costume was not meant to cause discomfort," she told ABC Sport.

South Bunbury issued a public post on its Facebook page condemning the outfit, saying the portrayal was intended to reflect the theme in a theatrical and humorous way, but that the timing and nature of the portrayal were inappropriate in light of Kirk's death. The club stressed the costume did not represent a political statement and said it would cooperate with league guidance while reviewing its internal processes to prevent a repeat. WA Country Football, WA Football and the SWFL were notified and informed of the situation as investigations continued.

SWFL boss Barry Tate described the decision as careless and said the timing was shocking, noting that the league conducts governance and social-media training for clubs at the start of each season. "South Bunbury condemned the actions on social media and publicly apologised," Tate said. "This is a club responsibility issue, and we expect clubs to uphold the values of respect and accountability."

The incident comes in a broader context for South Bunbury. In 2022, half of the women’s team quit mid-season amid allegations of racist and sexist behaviour within the club; an independent inquiry led to reforms, including bringing more female representation onto the board. The club declined to comment further, and the Daily Mail has not disclosed the comment we requested from South Bunbury.