AFL Players Association labels Swans allegations 'very serious'

The AFL Players Association says allegations regarding the behaviour of male Sydney Swans players during celebrations at a Melbourne hotel on early Monday morning are "very serious" and will impact the body's AFLW members. The players' body is the latest organisation to express concern over the scandal, with club and player sponsors on Wednesday also acknowledging the incident and saying they would wait on the outcome of a police investigation. What's next? Victorian sex crime detectives were due to travel to Sydney as part of their investigation into the incident, multiple law-enforcement agencies yesterday told the ABC. The AFL Players Association (AFLPA) has added its voice to the chorus of organisations expressing concern over a sexual assault allegation at the centre of a scandal engulfing the Sydney Swans. Victorian sex crime detectives were due to travel to Sydney as part of their investigation into the incident, multiple law-enforcement agencies yesterday told the ABC, after some of the players involved spoke informally to police while still in Melbourne. The ABC understands the investigation centres on an allegation of touching without consent following a complaint regarding players' behaviour during celebrations at the Pullman East Melbourne Hotel in the early hours of Monday morning. AFLPA CEO James Gallagher issued a statement on Wednesday evening calling the allegation "very serious". "Our thoughts are with the woman who brought this matter to the relevant authorities, and they should be afforded our respect, privacy and support," he said. "The AFLPA acknowledges the impact this has had on our AFLW members, as well as recognise the effect on their families, industry staff, the football community and members of the public." Five players involved in the scandal — Isaac Heeney, Riley Bice, James Jordon, Chad Warner and Nick Blakey — issued a statement on Wednesday evening, saying they were "deeply sorry to everyone involved" and accepted the Swans' decision to suspend them for the rest of the season for failing to meet club standards. It is not suggested that they are being accused of sexual assault, and no-one has been arrested or charged in relation to the alleged incident. Noting the players' statement, Mr Gallagher said the AFLPA, the representative body for AFL and AFLW players, "acknowledges the accountability they've rightly taken and will continue to support them". "We understand the police investigation is ongoing and any public discussion should be conducted with care," he added. The AFLPA was just one of several organisations that spoke out yesterday expressing concern over the scandal, with club sponsors QBE and realestate.com.au issuing statements calling the allegations "serious" and saying they would wait for the outcome of the police investigation before commenting further. Telstra, which the ABC understands has brand ambassador arrangements with two of the players involved, said those players would not be participating in any ambassador activity while the police investigation is ongoing, adding that the arrangements would be reviewed after the investigation is complete. Governor-General Sam Mostyn, a former Swans board member and the first female AFL commissioner, also spoke out, saying she was "shocked and troubled" by the allegations and "devastated" for all women affected by the alleged incident, including those not directly involved. The decision by the Swans to suspend five of their players for the rest of the season was welcomed by some advocates, with Respect Victoria CEO Helen Bolton calling the club's statement "clear and accountable". Greens leader Larissa Waters similarly said it was good to see the club act, "but it's a disgrace that it took a national outcry before they did so". "This is a serious issue that is bigger than one AFL club, and a serious response with consequences for the players involved is warranted," she wrote on social media. "We need to challenge gender inequality and disrespect wherever it occurs, whether that's at a school, within an AFL club or at home." Swans chairman Andrew Pridham and chief executive Matthew Pavlich yesterday stressed the decision to suspend the players was not directly related to the allegation being investigated by police, although they said they were "deeply concerned" about the welfare of the women involved. The bans instead related to the players' decision to continue drinking late into the night and bring women to their hotel, they said, with Mr Pavlich adding the behaviour fell "a long way short of what we expect of our players". In addition to spelling the end of the players' seasons, the club's sanctions mean the players will not be eligible for All Australian selection. [Image text:] INSURA AFD QBE INSURANCE