Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
The commercial fallout from the scandal engulfing the Sydney Swans is continuing to spread, with merchandise featuring five suspended players now being pulled from sale by one of Australia’s biggest retailers.
BIG W has confirmed to The Nightly it will pause all sales of merchandise featuring Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice pending the outcome of the matter.
The decision comes after The Nightly approached BIG W, Kmart and JB Hi-Fi over products featuring the players and asked whether the retailers planned to keep selling the merchandise.
“BIG W regularly reviews products sold in our stores, online, and on the BIG W Marketplace to ensure they align with our values and community expectations,” a BIG W spokesperson said.
“We have decided to pause all sales of merchandise featuring the involved players pending the outcome of this matter.”
The affected products had been available through independent third-party sellers on BIG W Marketplace rather than being directly sold by BIG W or stocked in its physical stores.
BIG W Marketplace operates as a digital shopfront for independent sellers, with products clearly identified as Marketplace items and labelled with the third-party vendor responsible for selling and shipping them.
Kmart and JB Hi-Fi have also been contacted by The Nightly over the future of merchandise featuring the five players.
The players were suspended by Sydney for the remainder of the AFL season for breaching club standards following events at the Pullman Hotel in East Melbourne.
Victoria Police is separately investigating a report of sexual assault following an alleged incident at the hotel.
No player has been arrested or charged and the Swans have repeatedly stressed their sanctions are separate to the ongoing police investigation.
The Nightly is not suggesting any wrongdoing by the five suspended players.
The latest retail development comes as AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon publicly addressed the allegations for the first time on Monday, declaring the treatment of women was not negotiable.
“I have been asked a lot in recent days, what message football should be sending young people and what we should be saying to our kids,” Dillon said.
“For me, the answer is straightforward – it doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter what you do, whether you’re an AFL footballer – the way we treat women says a lot about who we are as people, as a community and as a game.
“Quite simply, respect for women is not negotiable.”
Dillon also confirmed the five suspended Swans would not be permitted to attend next month’s Brownlow Medal ceremony, despite remaining eligible to win the award.
“The actions of five players have fallen well short of the standards our game expects and community deserves,” he said.
“While there are players involved, we cannot lose sight of the bigger picture. More importantly, there are women who have made a report to police and they should be shown care and respect.
“There are also families, staff, supporters, teammates and members of the wider community who have been affected.”
BIG W’s move adds to an expanding list of commercial consequences that has already hit sponsorships, publishing and booksellers.
Colgate confirmed last week it had suspended its partnership with Heeney pending the investigation and following the Swans’ decision to ban the five players.
“We are aware of the reports regarding an investigation by Victoria Police in East Melbourne. We take these matters very seriously and have suspended our partnership with Mr. Heeney pending completion of the investigation. As this remains an active police matter, we will have no further comment at this time”, a spokesperson for Colgate told The Nightly.
The fallout has also extended to Heeney’s recently released children’s book series, Little Isaac Footy Fever.
Readings and Gleebooks have said they are removing Heeney’s books from stores companywide, while Booktopia said it was working closely with the publisher and would continue to assess the situation.
BIG W had already confirmed to The Nightly that it was pausing sales of the series in stores and online.
“We have decided to pause all sales of Little Isaac Footy Fever books in our stores and online, pending the outcome of this matter.”
Publisher Allen & Unwin has also paused promotion of Heeney’s two existing books and publication of a third instalment while the police investigation is underway.
“We view this matter seriously and believe that the women involved deserve respect and support,” Allen & Unwin said.
“We have paused promotion of his two books and the publication of his third book, while the police investigation is under way.”
The Swans announced the five players’ season-ending suspensions last Wednesday after conducting their own inquiries into their conduct.
Chief executive Matthew Pavlich said the club was “deeply embarrassed and ashamed at the poor choices” made by the players.
“It was staying out late, it was drinking, it was continuing their night, it was bringing women back to the hotel.
“It was a long way short of what we expect of our players,” he said.
“We’re holding them to a really high standard, but they were well short of anywhere near that standard.”
Sydney chairman Andrew Pridham described the suspensions as a “very significant sanction” that had effectively “torpedoed our season”.
Despite the turbulent week, Sydney defeated North Melbourne by 53 points at the SCG on Sunday and will now prepare for its AFL finals campaign without the five suspended players.
