Five Sydney Swans Players Suspended for Remainder of 2026 AFL Season After Hotel Incident

Melbourne, 19 August: Five Sydney Swans players have been ruled out for the remainder of the 2026 AFL season following the club’s internal investigation into an alleged sexual assault incident at a Melbourne hotel.

Riley Bice, Nick Blakey, Isaac Heeney, James Jordon and Chad Warner will not play again this season, including during the AFL finals series.

Sydney Swans chairman Andrew Pridham and chief executive Matthew Pavlich addressed the hotel incident in detail for the first time at a news conference on Wednesday. The club also apologised to its supporters, corporate partners and others affected by the controversy.

The incident allegedly occurred at the Pullman Melbourne on the Park hotel on Wellington Parade, East Melbourne, following the Swans’ victory over Essendon at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

It is alleged that several players returned to the hotel after spending the night dining and drinking, and that a number of women were later brought into one of the hotel rooms.

A report published on Wednesday claimed that the women had been invited to the hotel to perform lap dances. According to the report, one of the players arranged for them to attend. A woman subsequently alleged that previously agreed personal boundaries had been breached inside a room.

The circumstances surrounding the allegations have not been established. Victoria Police’s Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team is investigating a report of an alleged sexual assault at an East Melbourne hotel in the early hours of 17 August.

Police have spoken to several people who were at the hotel. However, no one has been arrested, formally interviewed or charged.

Pavlich said the club was deeply disappointed and embarrassed by the players’ conduct and was concerned about the effect their decisions had reportedly had on the women involved.

“We are deeply concerned about the safety and welfare of the women involved,” Pavlich said, adding that the club did not want to interfere with the continuing police investigation by contacting them directly.

Pavlich confirmed that the players had consumed alcohol, remained out late and later brought women back to the team hotel. He said the conduct fell well below the standards expected by the club and formed the basis of its disciplinary action.

The Sydney Swans board held an emergency meeting on Tuesday night. Following the meeting, the club determined that several players had seriously breached its code of conduct and expected behavioural standards.

The club formally announced on Wednesday morning that Bice, Blakey, Heeney, Jordon and Warner would be unavailable for the remainder of the home-and-away season and the finals.

The AFL supported the club’s disciplinary decision while stressing that it was separate from the continuing police investigation. The five players will also be ineligible for selection in this year’s 46-player All-Australian squad.

The suspensions have dealt a significant blow to Sydney’s premiership campaign. The Swans had been expected to finish the home-and-away season in second place. The absence of key players including Blakey, Heeney and Warner could substantially affect the team during the finals.

The club’s internal investigation and the Victoria Police investigation are separate processes. None of the five players has been charged or arrested, and police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged incident.

According to reports, the woman at the centre of the allegation provided police with a written statement on Tuesday. It was also reported that the Swans sought assistance from Melbourne criminal lawyer Tony Hargreaves before the five players returned to Sydney on Monday night.

It has been alleged that two women returned to the hotel early on 17 August and asked to enter a room to collect a friend. After hotel management refused to allow them into the room, they reportedly spoke with Sydney Swans officials in the lobby. Another woman later arrived at the hotel.

Witnesses reportedly saw one woman crying and visibly distressed. She allegedly told hotel employees that her friend had been subjected to unwanted conduct while inside the room. Police have not yet established the full circumstances of what occurred.

In a statement, the Sydney Swans condemned all forms of violence and disrespectful behaviour towards women.

The club said any conduct that harmed or humiliated another person was unacceptable and emphasised that all women had the right to be treated with respect and to feel safe.

It also acknowledged the effect of the allegations on its AFLW players, female employees and the wider community, stating that their safety and welfare remained a priority.

The Swans said they would decide whether further disciplinary measures were necessary after the police investigation had concluded. The club would continue providing support to the players, their partners and family members during the investigation.

Telstra has also temporarily withdrawn Heeney and Warner from all activities connected with their roles as brand ambassadors.

The telecommunications company said it was deeply concerned by the allegations and confirmed that the two players would not participate in ambassadorial activities while the police investigation continued.

Former Collingwood president and football commentator Eddie McGuire said the Swans were addressing the matter through two separate processes: the criminal investigation by Victoria Police and the club’s response to breaches of its behavioural standards.

McGuire said the club could impose penalties for conduct such as excessive drinking, remaining out after midnight or breaching team rules, regardless of the outcome of the police investigation. He also stressed that everyone involved must be presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon earlier described the allegations as deeply concerning. He said the league would consider whether further action was required as more information emerged from the investigation.

Victoria Police said the alleged incident occurred at a hotel on Wellington Parade in East Melbourne during the early hours of 17 August. Investigators have spoken with several people who were at the hotel, but no arrests have been made and no charges have been laid.