Swans Grapple With Scandal as Historic Double Header Looms
Five Sydney Swans players remain stood down as Victoria Police investigate an alleged sexual assault at a Melbourne hotel, casting a shadow over the club's historic men's-women's double header scheduled for Sunday at the SCG.
Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, Chad Warner, Riley Bice and James Jordon were suspended by the club for breaching standards on drinking and staying out late following Sydney's win over Essendon in Melbourne. The five have apologised. The club confirmed the players were present inside a hotel room at the Pullman Hotel in East Melbourne when a woman alleges she was sexually assaulted — a player allegedly touched her without consent. No arrests have been made and no charges laid, ABC News reported on August 22.
The alleged incident, first reported by The Australian, occurred in the early hours of a Monday morning after the Essendon match. Allegations of drug use and topless waitresses have since surfaced in connection with the players involved, news.com.au reported on August 21. A recently-retired AFL midfielder was allegedly among the men who joined the five Swans players at the hotel that night, Fox Sports reported. Former Swans player Taylor Adams has been linked to the alleged incident, The Nightly reported on August 22.
The Swans categorically confirmed no staff member is involved in the police investigation, including that no staff member was in the hotel room central to the alleged incident, AFL.com.au reported on August 22. AFL CEO Andrew Dillon described the allegations as "deeply concerning" and said they raise "broader issues for our game."
Legal action is mounting on a separate front. A lawyer representing two women present that evening said his clients will claim damages for "pain and suffering," ABC News reported. A lawyer for a third woman said a potential civil lawsuit is being explored.
Meanwhile, the show goes on. The Swans AFLW side is scheduled to play Essendon in round two on Sunday, before the men's team faces North Melbourne to close its regular season. The double header is a first for the club — two senior matches, men's and women's, on the same day at the same ground.
Sydney AFLW captain Lucy McEvoy and coach Colin O'Riordan said the women's program supports the sanctions imposed on the five male players. Their comments carry weight: the AFLW side is in its own season, chasing its own results, and has worked to ensure the women's game is not reduced to a footnote.
Even the cross-town rivals pitched in. The GWS Giants encouraged their members to support the Swans AFLW side for the double header, despite the rivalry between the two Sydney clubs. Fan Lulu Clarke decided to attend the women's game rather than the men's, saying the women's side should not be overshadowed by the scandal, ABC News reported.
Swans chairman Andrew Pridham fronted a full media conference after the club banned the five players for the season. Coach and captain also faced the press. The club's season — on field at least — now turns to North Melbourne and a likely finals clash with Brisbane.
For fans walking through the gates on Sunday, the football is the easy part. Everything around it is not.
