Sydney Swans Players Accused of Paying Adult Entertainers to Consume Drugs Off Bodies
Detectives investigate sexual assault allegations involving Sydney Swans players at a Melbourne hotel after a match against Essendon.
Quick Look
Detectives investigating a sexual assault scandal involving Sydney Swans players have been told players paid female adult entertainers to consume drugs off their bodies at a Melbourne hotel following a match against Essendon.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Five Sydney Swans players were stood down for the rest of the AFL season after breaching club standards for drinking and bringing women to a hotel.
Detectives investigating a sexual assault scandal engulfing the Sydney Swans have been told players paid female adult entertainers to consume drugs off their bodies.
Several adult entertainers are understood to have joined players at Melbourne's Pullman Hotel after being hired in the hours after the Swans' win against Essendon on Sunday night.
On Wednesday, the Swans stood down five players for the rest of the AFL season — vice captain Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, James Jordan, Riley Bice and Nick Blakey — for breaching club standards for drinking and bringing women to the hotel.
That came as a separate police investigation into an alleged sexual assault at the hotel expanded with detectives flying to NSW yesterday.
Multiple senior police sources have told the ABC they understand an arrangement was reached in a hotel room for players to pay extra to take drugs, believed to be cocaine, from the women's breasts and buttocks.
It is not clear how many or which players allegedly participated.
Police are investigating a report of sexual assault, which the ABC understands centres on a player allegedly touching one of the women without her consent.
It is understood the woman was seen leaving the hotel room in a distressed state with a Triple Zero (000) call made to police soon after.
Police were seen gathering evidence from the hotel on Monday.
Sex crimes detectives have since taken over the investigation, with the alleged victim having made a formal statement to police.
Police have not made any arrests or laid charges.
At a press conference at midday yesterday, Swans officials confirmed none of the five players had been formally interviewed as yet.
Chief executive Matthew Pavlich referred questions about whether the players had been drug tested to investigators, saying: "That matter is for police."
However, law enforcement sources dismissed that claim, saying police did not have the powers to drug test the players in this investigation as they were not "doing an activity where it is illegal to be under the influence".
Those activities typically include driving or operating heavy machinery.
"To say it's part of the police investigation, it's definitely not. They [the Swans] are just protecting themselves," one senior police source said.
Late on Wednesday night, the players issued an apology to everyone involved in the scandal after being slapped with season-ending bans for breaching club behavioural standards.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Police will continue investigating the sexual assault allegations and interview players.
Very likely · Within days
Open Questions
- Which specific players participated in the alleged drug arrangement?
- Will formal charges be laid against any individuals?