Five Australian rules footballers have been banned for the remainder of the Australian Football League (AFL) season by the Sydney Swans for breaching player codes of conduct during a stay at a Melbourne hotel that has led to a police investigation into allegations of sexual assault.
The Swans issued a statement yesterday saying that “Riley Bice, Nick Blakey, Isaac Heeney, James Jordon and Chad Warner will not be considered for selection for the remainder of the 2026 AFL Season,” ruling them out of a regular-season game this weekend and the playoffs series.
The Swans said the club-imposed sanctions were independent of an investigation by Victoria state police. No charges have been laid, and no player has been identified as being involved in an alleged sexual assault.
Photo: AP
Police were called to a hotel in East Melbourne early on Monday when a woman made a complaint to staff there.
“We respect there is an ongoing investigation by Victoria Police and the actions we have taken today are independent of this,” the Swans statement said, adding that the AFL “is supportive of the club’s sanctions.”
Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich told a news conference on Wednesday that the club sanctions were imposed for a series of postgame code of conduct breaches. Swans players were staying at the hotel after a game on Sunday because a commercial flight would not have got the squad back to Sydney in time before an airport curfew.
“It was staying out late, it was drinking, it was continuing their night, it was bringing women back to the hotel,” Pavlich said. Such behavior “was a long way short of what we expect of our players.
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon earlier released a statement saying the allegations were “deeply concerning.”
“While the matter remains under police investigation, it raises broader issues for our game and our responsibilities as a sport,” Dillon said. “The woman who made the report to police is entitled to privacy and care, and that should be respected.”
“The Sydney Swans condemn all forms of abuse and disrespectful behavior toward women,” the Swans said in a statement ahead of a club board meeting on Tuesday. “Any conduct that causes offense or harm to others is unacceptable and falls well short of our expectations. All women deserve to be respected and feel safe.”
Sydney Swans chairman Andrew Pridham apologized for the actions of the players and said that there was deep disappointment within the club.
“To effectively torpedo our season by making a decision such as this tells you how seriously we’ve taken it,” he said.
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