The AFL has confirmed that five players from the Sydney Swans will not be present at this year’s Brownlow Medal ceremony. This decision follows the club’s suspension of the players and the league’s choice to delay its investigation into the players’ behavior until a police inquiry regarding an alleged sexual assault at a Melbourne hotel is concluded.
Details of the Investigation
On Monday, AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon spoke to the media for the first time since the Swans suspended Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, Chad Warner, Riley Bice, and James Jordon for breaching club standards. The violations included excessive drinking and bringing women to their hotel.
The Victoria Police are currently investigating an alleged sexual assault that reportedly took place early Monday morning at the Pullman Hotel. The Swans were staying there following their victory over Essendon at the MCG the previous Sunday. At this point, no arrests or charges have been reported, and the players are said to have denied any involvement in any criminal activity.
Dillon stated that the AFL “cannot get in the way of a police investigation”
“There’s a police investigation going on now,” Dillon remarked during the launch of this year’s AFL finals on Monday. “Once that’s complete, we’ll conduct our own inquiries. But the AFL won’t get involved while there’s a police investigation under way. “The Swans have spoken to the players. They’ve shared that information with the AFL and they’ve made the calls, but they’ve also been really clear that what they spoke to the players about was separate from the police investigation.”
Communication with Players
He noted that the Swans have been in touch with the players and have shared pertinent information with the AFL, clarifying that their discussions are separate from the police investigation.
The Brownlow Medal ceremony is set to occur on the Monday before the grand final. Due to their suspension, the five players will not be allowed to attend; however, they remain eligible to receive the award.
AFL’s Public Response
Dillon commenced his address at the launch with a strong statement that expanded on a previous email sent by the AFL last Tuesday, which had been the league’s sole public comment regarding the situation until this point.
“I have been asked a lot in recent days, what message football should be sending young people and what we should be saying to our kids,” Dillon explained. “For me, the answer is straightforward – it doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter what you do, whether you’re an AFL footballer – the way we treat women says a lot about who we are as people, as a community and as a game. Quite simply, respect for women is not negotiable.”
When questioned about whether the AFL had delayed its public response, Dillon replied, “The Swans have handled the matter publicly and this was an appropriate time for us to speak.”
Dillon’s comments followed the AFL-AFWL double-header at the SCG on Sunday, an event that saw numerous fans depart before the men’s game began. He expressed hope that the upcoming finals series, which will feature a wildcard round for the first time, would help to heal a divided AFL community.
“What we saw yesterday is how football is the place where people can come together,” Dillon remarked. “And I think we’ll see that during the final series. Really serious matter being investigated by the police. But I think the finals and footy is a way that people can come together. “The actions of a few don’t take away from the thousands of people involved in football at all different levels who do great things all the time. But what we do know is that we can do things better. And we’ll continue to do that and we’ll continue to learn and be better.”
He concluded by emphasizing that the actions of a few individuals do not reflect the thousands involved in football at various levels who consistently make positive contributions to the sport.
“But what we do know is that we can do things better. And we’ll continue to do that and we’ll continue to learn and be better,” he stated.
