AFL: Son doesn't recognize beardless Bartel

Geelong Cats champion Jimmy Bartel may need to spend some quality time with his son after the young child failed to recognise his now beardless father.

Bartel shaved off one of Australian sport's truly magnificent beards yesterday after a season-long quest to raise awareness on domestic violence.

He vowed to grow out his beard and hair as part of his Face Up to DV (domestic violence) campaign.

But sudden change can sometimes be extremely confronting – especially when you're a toddler.

In a video posted to Bartel's wife's, Nadia, Instagram account, little Aston, who was born last November, seems perplexed as to the identity of the man who is holding him.

Despite the reassurance from both mum and dad, young Bartel just can't seem to overcome the loss of the Ned Kelly-inspired whiskers, stuck in a trance centred on his dad's chin and cheeks.

"He's trying to go for the beard but it's not there!," Nadia tells Aston.

Not even a kiss from dear old dad can jog Aston's memory with the video ending as it started: son staring blankly at barely recognisable face.

Well, little Aston, this is who your dad is: three-time premiership champion, Brownlow Medal and Norm Smith Medal winner and two-time All-Australian.