Mad Monday celebrations, which have for years marked the end of the season for all codes of football, will this year go ahead, despite a new initiative that aims to crack down on binge drinking, the Australian Football League says.

Federal Sport Minister Kate Ellis on Sunday announced that six of Australia's largest sporting organisations, including AFL, rugby union, rugby league, soccer, cricket and netball, had signed up to a National Alcohol Code of Conduct to help encourage responsible consumption of alcohol.

"We know that sport is an important part of Australian culture and whilst it's not responsible for the wider problem of binge drinking, we do think sport can use its influence to be part of the solution," Ms Ellis told a media conference in Adelaide.

While AFL general manager of football operations, Adrian Anderson said all 16 clubs would adhere to the code in a bid to set a good example to their supporters, he was realistic in understanding there would still be some way-ward players.

"I don't think you'll necessarily see the end of a celebration at the end of a season, but what I think you probably will see is more moderate consumption of alcohol at those times," Mr Anderson said.

"You will always have some cases, which is inevitable, where alcohol is involved in some misdemeanor, but what is important is that we set a framework.

"This code is a very good guide line or frame work in which to tackle these problems and it's not so much bad apples or people deliberately behaving badly, I suspect it's people with personal problems or the inability to handle alcohol responsibly."

While the initiative is a code and is therefore not enforceable by law, players determined to be consuming alcohol in an irresponsible manner will not face tough penalties other than those relating to behavioural guidelines already set out by the clubs.

"Players are aware that with the focus on them they have a responsibility to endeavour to set an example to the rest of the community," Mr Anderson said.

Ms Ellis said the code outlined responsibilities for organisations and individuals and expected that those covered by the code should consume alcohol in a safe and responsible manner and should also help promote responsible drinking during and outside the sporting season.

"We're not trying to tell the Australian people that they can't have a beer if they're watching the cricket, but what we are trying to say is that while sport is an obsession of the Australian public it should be a healthy obsession," she said.

Alcohol is responsible for more than 3000 deaths a year and about 72,000 hospitalisations, many of which are related to binge drinking, a spokesman for the minister said.

The code forms part of the Australian Government's $53.5 million National Binge Drinking Strategy.

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