‘We are deeply sorry’: Swans players break silence in joint apology
The five Sydney Swans players stood down amid an ongoing police investigation have broken their silence to issue an apology for their actions.
Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, Chad Warner, James Jordan and Riley Bice released a statement on Wednesday, hours after learning they had been stood down after breaching club standards while staying at a hotel in Melbourne.
The Swans players stood down. Polly Hanning
Heeney has since been revealed as the focus of the investigation as Sex Crimes Squad detectives from Victoria Police prepare to travel to Sydney on Thursday.
The decision to stand the group down was club imposed and the players have since acknowledged their “behaviour has fallen well short of the standards expected of us” at the club.
“We are deeply sorry to everyone involved,” the group wrote in a statement.
“We know we have let down our partners and families, members, supporters, teammates, the AFLW team, corporate partners and everyone at the club and the wider community.
“We accept the club sanction and apologise for the impact this has had on those involved. Our focus will now be on rebuilding trust with the club and community.”
The apology comes just hours after Swans chairman Andrew Pridham recognised how “difficult” it will be for the club to front up for a historic AFL/AFLW double header intended to be a point of pride.
Pridham made clear that the club still intends to “celebrate having a historic double header” even though the matches have been overshadowed by an ongoing police investigation.
“I know they’re (the AFLW team) very excited about that, and we just have to make it as normal as possible,” Pridham said.
“Clearly respecting the circumstances of this week is going to make that difficult.
“But we’re hopeful that our fans turn up and to the extent that they feel willing to do so come and support the teams.”
The Swans board met on Tuesday night to finalise the sanctions for the five players, citing conduct in Melbourne that constituted a “serious breach of expected club behaviour and standards.”
Nine.com.au is not suggesting any of the players who have been stood down have been accused of sexual assault, formally interviewed by police or charged, just that they have been linked to an alleged investigation at a Melbourne hotel.
Swans CEO Matthew Pavlich joined Pridham in fronting the media, clarifying that the club’s sanction decision was made separately from the police investigation.
“It was staying out late, it was drinking, it was continuing their night, it was bringing women back to the hotel,” he said of the reasons for the board’s decision.
Sydney Swans’ executives front the media. Getty Images
“It was a long way short of what we expect of our players, and we’re holding them to a really high standard, but they were well short of anywhere near that standard.”
He said their “significant sanction” shows how the club is upholding their “high standards” and supporting their AFLW team.
“Deeply disappointed they are (Sydney Swans’ AFLW team). Their welfare is of the utmost importance to us and we’re supporting them as best we can,” added Pavlich.
“We’ve met with them a number of times, we’re continuing to work closely with them because they’ve got a game to prepare for on Sunday.
“They had a wonderful victory in Adelaide last weekend. Being there and seeing the enthusiasm as that season begins, we are supporting them as best we can.”
While acknowledging that the decision to stand down some of the club’s best players effectively “torpedoed” the men’s season, chairman Pridham emphasised that upholding the club’s culture was non-negotiable.
He noted that all five players are “extremely remorseful” for their actions, and he hopes the severity of the punishment sends a clear message to the public and the league.
Chad Warner is among the players stood down. Getty Images
“I know that the five players involved, they’re extremely remorseful for their actions and having breached the club standards,” said Pridham.
“I think that the sanction that we’ve imposed and the impact that will have on our football season is clear for all to see. In making this decision in terms of the sanction, it’s very important to note that the football outcome was not a consideration of the board.
“We purely are looking at this through the lens of a small number of players, relative to our total playing list, breaching our high standards that we expect.”
“The seriousness with which we’ve taken this matter, the fact that we are willing to remove five of our absolute best players’ availability for the rest of the season. I hope it demonstrates that we’re not trying to brush anything under the carpet, we’re taking it very, very seriously,” he said further.
“Our standards are a cornerstone to our culture over many, many years.
“When people do step outside our expected standards, we do act swiftly and decisively and that’s what we’ve done and I’m confident that having taken this action, we’ll be in a better place going forward as a result.”
The fallout has progressed beyond the club, prompting AFL chief Andrew Dillon to release a statement on Tuesday night addressing the broader implications for the sport.
“The conduct and serious allegations regarding Sydney Swans players are deeply concerning,” wrote Dillion.
“As a sport, and as an industry, we are clear about the standards we expect and the values we stand for and the need to uphold them.”
