For those not up on trends of the hirsute, the money tail beard is just that, a beard curling around the face like a money tail.

It starts out as a normal moustache and then, perversely, snakes down and up one side of the face.

The monkey tail beard first appeared on the mug of American baseball player Mike Fiers back in September, 2019 who proudly wore the weird beard "just to give the guys a laugh".

Hansen, 22, a member of the 2021 Brumbies squad, decided to do the same when he turned up for the team photos.

Undoubtedly magnificent, the elaborate facial hair only lasted the one day on Hansen.

"It was a short time but it was a great time I had with it," he said.

"I think a lot of people were expecting me to keep it for a while but it was purely to make an impression on the photos, really. But it did its job and then it was time for it to go."

Hansen said the beard was not too hard to create but it did cause some second looks.

"It was just shaving half a beard, really," he said.

"I saw the baseball bloke's one and I thought it was a pisser, thought it was very funny. Mine wasn't as thick or rounded off as his but thought I'd give it a crack and I did my best.

"The weird bit was everybody looking at me. We had pool recovery in the morning so I went out in public and everybody was giving me weird looks. The boys were all around me, which made it easier. That was definitely the main thing, all the eyes on the monkey tail."

Hansen didn't have to worry about his partner's reaction, because he doesn't have one.

"No, no girlfriend, which is probably why I got rid of it," he said.

"I'll maybe try to find one. Don't think I would have found one with the monkey tail."

His mum Diana and dad Craig, who live in O'Connor, had different reactions.

"My mum doesn't really like facial hair on me to begin with, but she didn't really say anything about it. I think she didn't mind it," he said.

"My dad, he's a bloke that grows some pretty wacky beards himself and he was a bit off it so I thought that was a pretty telling sign not to leave it on for too long."

On a more serious note, Hansen was looking to increase his tally of games playing for the Brumbies. He has already proved himself to be an under-pressure performer - at Canberra Stadium last August when he nailed a late penalty to give the Brumbies a win over the Queensland Reds in the Super Rugby AU.

"I'm really excited," he said, of the 2021 season.

"We've got a lot of young guys. I'm not a senior player by any means, but I'll definitely be pushing my case for a few more games hopefully. There's a lot to look forward to this year and we get to play New Zealand teams again, which is just another plus, on top of everything."

Couldn't the monkey tail beard have been an on-field tactic to put off the opposition? What happens if "Bring back the monkey tail" placards start appearing in the stands of Canberra Stadium?

"I can always grow it back. If people keep asking for it, I'll give the people what they want," he said.