Bailey Smith has seemingly branded the AFL ‘clowns’ after his push for a league-wide mental health round failed to yield an immediate result.

The Geelong star, who has been open about his own mental health struggles, led the calls with a raw post-match interview on Channel 7 last week.

The footage went viral with wide support in the wake of the death of Jaryd Dawson, the brother Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson, and Carlton young gun Elijah Hollands’ mental health episode.

“I don’t know if I’m out of pocket saying it, but I think it’s about time the AFL get a men’s mental health round,” Smith said.

“It just makes me feel sick during the week and hopefully the AFL community wraps their arms around them and we can do something.”

Dale Thomas raised the prospect again on The Agenda Setters, saying: “After the events of the week and what we’ve seen in the wider AFL community, if anything good comes of it it is starting conversations like this from Bailey Smith.”

But it has since emerged the AFL will not rush to make it a reality.

“I think the AFL hears that (Smith’s request) but I don’t think there’s going to be a Mental Health Round any time soon,” Tom Morris said.

“They’d prefer to do things like Spud’s Game, they had a mental health forum in Adelaide (during Gather Round) — but it’s not going to stop players like Bailey Smith pushing for it.”

Indeed, Smith kept up the fight by sharing Morris’s report on Instagram with a pointed caption.

“We can reward mediocrity and introduce wildcard round tho,” he wrote, adding two thumbs-up and a clown emoji.

Smith then responded to a fan to claim Geelong are “already” working on their own mental health round.

“Gonna try align with a few other clubs too,” he wrote.

Smith’s initial response and the reference to wildcard round may not go down well at the AFL after his coach Chris Scott drew the league’s ire with a similar comment earlier this month.

Scott unexpectedly accused the AFL of bringing in the two extra finals games for “no good reason except cash, probably”.

“I tend to think they just made it up,” the premiership great said.

Channel 7’s Caroline Wilson reported Scott’s “pretty low dig” had gone “down like a lead balloon” at the AFL, prompting conversations between the league and Cats boss Steve Hocking.

Meanwhile, Channel 7 commentator Matthew Richardson backed Smith’s call for a mental health round on Friday night and suggested tying Spud’s Game into the round.

St Kilda’s annual fixture honouring late club great Danny Frawley and raise funds for their mental health programs has become the league’s most prominent in the wellbeing space.

The AFL partners with multiple mental health and wellbeing organisations for player, staff and family support and education programs, while youth foundation Headspace is one of its few charity partners alongside FightMND.

Smith’s interview was not the first time he had used his platform to speak openly about mental health.

Last year he used the All Australian awards night to discuss spending time at a mental health facility as his wellbeing deterioriated while recovering from a knee reconstruction.

“It was about a year ago I got out of a psych ward, I was in Epworth Camberwell for like four weeks,” he said at last year’s All-Australian awards night.

“I got a couple of hours out a day, and I spent that time training and I went through a really dark time.

“I didn’t think I’d get to the other side and I’m super grateful to be here through the support of my family. My manager Robbie (D’Orazio), been there through the shocking times.

“I know it’s just an injury but until you experience it and have a sense of identity taken away from you and go through some teething issues with moving clubs and outside noise and still trying to just grow up and rehab a knee.

“I’m super grateful to be on the other side of it and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Certainly surprised to be where I am.”