Swans declare players ‘in serious breach’ of standards as club suspensions loom

The Sydney Swans have declared they believe a group of players “are in serious breach of expected club behaviour and standards” as the club’s board meets on Tuesday night to decide on punishments over their conduct in Melbourne on late Sunday night into early Monday morning.

The development comes after AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon suggested the players could also face AFL sanctions irrespective of the outcome of an ongoing police investigation into a sexual assault allegation.

“The Sydney Swans can confirm that the club board will meet tonight to agree on player sanctions and penalties, now that the club has concluded its interviews with all the players involved in the incident in Melbourne,” the Swans said in a statement.

“We respect there is an ongoing investigation by Victoria Police and any actions we take are independent of this.”

The Swans said it was appropriate “to take firm action” and highlight that any sanction they take as a club relates “solely” to club’s standards of expected behaviour.

“The club believes the players are in serious breach of expected club behaviour and standards, and it is appropriate to take firm action and highlight that any sanction we impose relates solely to those breaches,” the Swans’ statement read.

“The club also acknowledges that these serious allegations impact others and their wellbeing must be paramount.

“The Sydney Swans condemn all forms of abuse and disrespectful behaviour towards women. Any conduct that causes offence or harm to others is unacceptable and falls well short of our expectations. All women deserve to be respected and feel safe.”

The group of five players, who had remained in Melbourne on Monday behind the rest of the team as it travelled back to Sydney, attended separate meetings with senior club and team officials away from Swans headquarters after driving home to NSW.

The meetings were to discuss the events of Sunday night and Monday morning, which led to a police investigation into an allegation of sexual assault at the Pullman East Melbourne hotel. The investigation is being handled by Victoria Police’s sexual crimes squad.

“The conduct and serious allegations regarding Sydney Swans players are deeply concerning,” Dillon said in a league statement.

“The woman who made the report to police is entitled to privacy and care, and that should be respected,” he said.

“Notwithstanding the ongoing police investigation, the AFL and the Sydney Swans will consider the broader conduct of the players as more information comes to light.”

This masthead has contacted the representatives of Isaac Heeney, Riley Bice, James Jordon and Chad Warner after two senior industry sources said they were spoken to by police after an allegation of sexual assault in the early hours of Monday morning.

This masthead is not suggesting any of the players are under investigation by police, just that they are assisting with inquiries.

This masthead also contacted a representative of Swan Nick Blakey, who denied Blakey was involved in the incident. But the representative confirmed Blakey had also remained in Melbourne with his four teammates.

Earlier on Tuesday, two senior competition sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the players would be dealt with under the AFL rule that covers bringing the game into disrepute and conduct unbecoming.

However, late on Tuesday the league said that rule would not immediately be applied.

The players had been out drinking after Sunday night’s win over Essendon and returned to the team hotel in the early hours of Monday.

The AFL has the power to suspend them under rule 2.3A, which prohibits conduct unbecoming or likely to prejudice the interests or reputation of the league.

Any immediate club or league action would be separate to the Victoria Police investigation.

A source close to the group of Swans players, but not authorised to speak publicly, said the players had been fully co-operative with the police probe.

They said all five had been prepared to speak with police on Monday, but only one was ultimately quizzed.

Police told the group they were not ready to conduct a formal interview or speak with any of the players acting as witnesses.

The source said leading Melbourne criminal lawyer Tony Hargreaves was called in to assist the group before they were told they were free to leave and return to Sydney.

No player has been arrested and the AFL’s disciplinary action does not make any finding in relation to the allegation that remains under investigation by police.

Instead, the AFL and the club have been examining the conduct of the players before and around the alleged incident, and whether their behaviour fell sufficiently below the standards expected of AFL footballers to warrant sanction under the league’s broad disrepute provisions.

One of the most recent examples of an AFL suspension under this rule was for then Bulldog Bailey Smith, who was found guilty of conduct unbecoming and suspended for two matches in 2022.

Smith admitted to using an illicit substance late in 2021.

This masthead contacted all 36 of the Swans’ corporate partners. None were willing to comment on the incident, and so far, there is no indication any of the club’s sponsors will be walking away.

However, a spokesperson for Origin expressed disappointment. “The club informed us about this incident yesterday, and we are incredibly disappointed. While the matter is subject to an investigation, it is not appropriate for us to comment any further,” the spokesperson said.

The Swans players are now facing the prospect of missing not only Sydney’s final home-and-away match against North Melbourne on Sunday, but at least part of the Swans’ finals campaign.

Sydney have already secured second position on the ladder and a home qualifying final. Any multi-game suspension would carry significant consequences for the club’s premiership aspirations.

The Swans were forced to remain in Melbourne on Sunday night because Sydney Airport’s curfew prevented the team from returning home following its convincing win over Essendon at the MCG.

Several players subsequently went out drinking before returning to the Pullman, where the team and its staff were staying.

Police attended the hotel on Monday after receiving the report of an alleged sexual assault.