Suspended Swans star breaks cover for the first time since hotel scandal
Sydney Swans player Chad Warner, one of five players embroiled in the ongoing Pullman Hotel investigation, has been publicly spotted for the first time since he was stood down by the club.
Walking alongside girlfriend Alice Hughes, the couple was photographed in Sydney on Tuesday afternoon returning to their shared home.
Swans player Chad Warner is seen with his girlfriend Alice Hughes. Matrix Pictures
Hughes, who relocated from Perth to be with Warner, is a familiar face to the AFL community, having frequently accompanied the midfielder to major functions, including the Brownlow Medal and official club events.
The public sighting comes on the same day that fellow teammate and one-time AFL poster boy Isaac Heeney deleted his Instagram account.
Heeney and Warner are two of the five players who were stood down for the remainder of the season in a club-imposed sanction that is separate from the police investigation.
They were in a Melbourne hotel room with teammates Nick Blakey, James Jordon, and Riley Bice in the early hours of Monday, August 17 where an alleged sexual assault occurred.
Three women have filed complaints with police. Nine.com.au is not suggesting any criminal wrongdoing by the five players.
According to News Corp, detectives from Victoria Police’s sex crimes squad are preparing to travel to Sydney again to speak to Swans players.
For Heeney, the loss of his Instagram account – temporary or otherwise – is another financial blow to the talented midfielder-forward.
His profile is a money earner – capable of banking him upwards of $3,000 per branded post based on his more than 100,000 followers and his engagement rate – and he has affiliations with a number of brands.
Some of those – including Colgate, Telstra, and his book publishers Allen & Unwin – have suspended dealings with him while the investigation takes place.
Speaking to nine.com.au last month, publicity expert Max Markson estimated Heeney could be facing a loss upwards of $2 million.
“I reckon he’s definitely going to lose $2 million, because with Telstra, Colgate, Volkswagen, Nike... this is money that he’d earn, not just this year, but the next couple of years,” Markson said. “This is how business works.”
Isaac Heeney of the Swans in action. via Getty Images
A number of organisations have also distanced themselves from the Swans since news of the allegations broke a fortnight ago.
Heeney is contracted to the club until the end of 2028 on a deal reportedly worth about $1m per season. His future at the Swans hangs in the balance, as does that of his four suspended teammates.
The Swans will be missing all five players when they host Brisbane in a qualifying final at the SCG on Saturday.
