Five players in the Australian Football League (AFL) have been banned for late-night drinking and inviting women to a hotel after a weekend match in Melbourne.
The Sydney Swans’ Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice have been stood down from Australian Rules football’s top league for the rest of the season, the club announced.
The suspension comes after detectives in Melbourne began an investigation into an alleged sexual assault, said to have to taken place in the early hours of Monday morning at the Pullman Hotel where the players were staying after the match.
None of the players have been arrested or charged in the investigation.
Sydney Swans chairman Andrew Pridham apologised to fans, players and the wider community on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters, he explained that the sanctions were handed down because the players had breached the club’s standards by drinking alcohol later than accepted and bringing women to the hotel.
In a statement published earlier in the day announcing the suspensions, the club said: “We respect there is an ongoing investigation by Victoria Police and the actions we have taken today are independent of this.
“The AFL is supportive of the Club’s sanctions.”
Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich told a media conference: “We’re deeply embarrassed and ashamed that the poor choices of five of our players, and the impact that’s had on the women involved and also the club.
“We are deeply concerned about their welfare and the wellbeing of those women.”
He declined to say whether any of the players had been drug tested, saying that any testing would form part of the police inquiry.
A spokesperson for Victoria Police said officers have spoken to several people who were at the Pullman Hotel, but no one was formally interviewed or arrested.
On Tuesday, club officials held talks with the players ahead of their suspension.
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon has described the reports of the alleged sexual assault as “deeply concerning”.
Sydney has dominated this season, currently placing second on the ladder which guarantees them a spot in the qualifying and elimination finals’ round that begins in two weeks.
The club is scheduled to play against North Melbourne at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday, which will be the last fixture ahead of the finals.
Heeney and Warner are considered two of the sport’s biggest stars.
Unlike some other Australian sports, the AFL does not have a strict no-fault stand-down policy on players charged with serious offences such as sexual assault, and instead handles cases on a discretionary and case-by-case basis.
