Swans release fresh statement on hotel scandal
Anna Harrington |
The Sydney Swans have “categorically confirmed” no members of the embattled AFL club’s staff are involved in the ongoing police investigation into the Pullman Hotel scandal.
Five players – Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice and James Jordon – have been suspended for the rest of the season for “breaching club standards”.
The sanctions are separate to the police investigation into sexual assault allegations and the events at East Melbourne’s Pullman Hotel in the early hours of Monday morning.
Victoria Police and Sydney released separate statements on Saturday, with the Swans repeating a previous statement that no club representatives other than the five suspended players were in the hotel room in question.
“The Sydney Swans supports the action taken by Victoria Police in releasing today’s statement regarding the investigation,” the Swans said in their statement.
“The Sydney Swans categorically confirms that no member of staff is involved in the investigation. This includes being in the hotel room central to the police investigation.
“The club reiterates that no player has been interviewed by police at this stage.”
Victoria Police said their investigation is ongoing. No charges have been laid and AAP is not suggesting any wrongdoing.
“Detectives from the Sexual Crimes Squad continue to investigate a report of a sexual assault in East Melbourne on August 17,” the police statement said.
“The incident occurred at a hotel on Wellington Parade in the early hours of the morning.
“The exact circumstances of the matter are still being established and a number of people have been spoken to.”
The statements come as the Swans finalise preparations for what is effectively a dead rubber game against North Melbourne at the SCG on Sunday, rounding out the home-and-away season.
Sydney chairman Andrew Pridham on Wednesday said the club-imposed sanctions would “torpedo” the second-placed side’s premiership hopes.
In their SCG qualifying final, Sydney will most likely face reigning premiers Brisbane, who all but locked in third place with Friday night’s 63-point win over Collingwood – unless Hawthorn leapfrog them on percentage.
The team that finishes fourth plays runaway minor premiers Fremantle while third faces a decimated and embattled Sydney.
“I don’t mind either or, to be honest with you,” Lions coach Chris Fagan said.
“It’s just good to get the double chance.
“And I’m sort of thinking that Sydney have lost some players obviously due to the unfortunate thing that happened last week. But in some ways that can galvanise a club too.
“The guys that do get to play just might go that much harder and be that much more difficult to beat.
“So either way I’m just happy we finished top four. We travel well. Either way we’re going to have to travel, so we’ll take whatever comes our way.”
Fagan hadn’t spoken to his players specifically about the Sydney situation.
“There’s been so much publicity around it – it almost goes without saying,” Fagan said.
“I don’t feel like I need to have a conversation with my players because it’s pretty obvious, the repercussions for not thinking through your actions too clearly. And yeah, it’s really unfortunate.
“I do feel sorry for Sydney because they have been such a terrific club in that regard for a long, long time but these sorts of things happen – it’s just a bit of a head-scratcher, isn’t it?
“You just wonder what was going through people’s heads to let that occur.”
Sydney on Friday disputed assertions there were more than five players in the hotel room in question on Monday morning.
A lawyer acting for two women at the centre of the investigation had claimed there were “more than five” men involved.
The lawyer, who claimed the two women involved were treated to “abhorrent” actions, also reportedly threatened to initiate legal action in the Victorian Supreme Court, with the alleged victims to seek damages for pain and suffering, psychological injury and economic loss.
A third woman, who has had her “entire world turned upside down” by an alleged sexual assault, has also tapped lawyers to look into grounds for a compensation claim.
James Rowbottom, Harry Cunningham, Angus Sheldrick, Caiden Cleary and Tom Hanily will replace the banned five players for the clash with North Melbourne at the SCG on Sunday.
That game takes place after Sydney’s AFLW clash with Essendon as part of a double header.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
AAP