Source : Perth Now news
Sydney Swans head coach Dean Cox has broken his silence following the sensational revelation Victoria Police are investigating an alleged sexual incident said to have been committed by members of his playing group who were staying at a hotel in Melbourne.
As he arrived at Swans HQ on Tuesday morning, Cox said the club was “working (its) way through everything with the AFL and relevant parties” after he was asked whether players would face sanctions.
“We’ll update when we get more information,” Cox said.
No players have been arrested or charged.
When asked if he had spoken to the players interviewed about the incident, Cox said the club would “speak as the day unfolds”.
On Monday afternoon, Victoria Police said they were actively investigating “a report of a sexual assault” said to have taken place at the Pullman Hotel in East Melbourne early on Monday morning.
“The exact circumstances are yet to be established and the investigation into the incident remains ongoing,” police said.
It is understood Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, James Jordon and Riley Bice have been questioned by police, but none has been arrested or charged with any offence.
The manager of a fifth player said his client had declined to speak with police.
All five are believed to have driven back to Sydney in a rental car on Monday night.
Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich said he was “shocked” and “disappointed” to hear the news on Monday afternoon, which surfaced less than 24 hours after the Swans’ convincing 112-76 victory against Essendon.
“We can confirm that several players were involved in an alleged incident last night in Melbourne,” Pavlich said.
“We have identified this to the AFL and we are working with them and also the relevant authorities on this matter.
“We are still piecing together exactly what has transpired here, and we have our own internal inquiries ongoing.
“It is safe to say we are extremely shocked and disappointed that this has taken place and that the players have found themselves in this situation.”
AFL Players Association chief executive James Gallagher said he felt a “sick feeling in (his) stomach” when he was told of the incident.
“Obviously surprise is the first immediate reaction but what I do know is that there’s really serious allegations at play here,” he said.
“The police process was the priority yesterday, quite rightly … “But we’ll learn more I think inevitably what happens is we will learn more of exactly what happened in coming days.”
Gallagher said standing down players typically only happens when a player has been charged with a crime in the NRL, but did not specify if AFL rules were the same.
“I think what we’ve got here at the moment are allegations, and so part of ti is understanding exactly what’s happened and understanding that as best as possible,” he said.
“That can sometimes take time, but we should take the time to properly understand it.”
More to come.
