‘Women deserve to feel safe’: Ex-AFL captain’s message to players
Dyson Heppell has taken to Instagram to address the Victoria Police investigation into Sydney Swans players, relating to allegations of sexual assault.
The former Essendon captain posted a video on social media after five players – Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, Chad Warner, James Jordon and Riley Bice – were stood down by the Swans for the rest of 2026 after breaching club standards.
Dyson Heppell on Instagram. Instagram
Nine.com.au is not suggesting any of the players who have been stood down have been accused of sexual assault or charged by police, just that they have been linked to an investigation relating to an incident at a Melbourne hotel.
Heppell, who played 253 games for the Bombers, explained he understood the environment that can exist in a professional sports team and made it clear that women should be treated with respect in that environment.
“I feel I have to talk to the current situation for a quick minute now,” he said.
“[I have] been around footy, sporting teams and that type of environment for a big part of my life. I get it, I get the banter, I get the pressure, I get the expectations and I get the type of environment that can exist inside sporting teams.
“But there is one thing that should never, that should never be complicated, and it’s that women deserve to feel safe, that they deserve respect.
“Whatever the outcome of this current situation, I think it’s an important moment for every man involved in sport or not to have a good look at himself. Being a footballer, being in a team, being with your mates, being drunk, carrying on after a win, none of these things change the responsibility we have to respect women.”
Heppell continued to say there’s an onus on individuals to speak up when they observe a friend’s behaviour overstepping the mark.
“Being a good bloke isn’t just about how you treat your teammates, it’s about how you treat women and especially when nobody is watching,” he said.
“It’s about recognising when someone is feeling uncomfortable, stepping in when your mate crosses the line. It’s about having the courage to call out the behaviour that isn’t right. Especially, when it is your mate. We talk about building cultures in footy and this is what culture looks like, it’s not protecting your mates at all costs, it’s not laughing something off or looking the other way, it’s respect, it’s accountability. It’s doing the right thing when it matters.
“To the women and the girls who are part of the football community and women in general, you deserve nothing less. Men have a responsibility to be better. We can’t just say we respect women, we have to show it.”
Heppell captained the Bombers from 2017 to 2022 and now works at Collingwood as a development coach.
