Sydney Swans coach Dean Cox and captain Callum Mills have denied there is a rift in their playing group as they addressed the ongoing scandal engulfing the club.
Five players — Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, Chad Warner, Riley Bice and James Jordon — have been stood down by the Swans for breaching the club’s standards on drinking and staying out late following last Sunday’s win over Essendon in Melbourne.
Police from Victoria’s sexual crimes squad are investigating a report of sexual assault, which the ABC understands centres on a player allegedly touching one of the women without her consent.
Police have not made any arrests or laid charges.
Mills said he was “deeply shocked and disappointed” and said he had not witnessed anything like this behaviour before.
“We really are disappointed at the action of these five players,” he said.
Dean Cox and Callum Mills addressed the media. (Getty Images: Darrian Traynor)
“As a playing group, we fully support the club’s decisions on the sanctions handed down.”
Mills said the five players would have to address the playing group, but there was no rift among the players.
Cox confirmed he was not in the room at the centre of the scandal, but would not say whether other staff members or players were present, as the club denied comments suggesting more men from the Swans were present in the room.
Both men refused to answer specific questions about what happened in the hotel room, saying they were the subject of a police investigation.
The Swans players and staff observed the press conference from behind the camera. (Getty Images: Darrian Traynor)
Cox was also pressed on the club’s decision to have the five suspended players driven back to Sydney from Melbourne, rather than flown.
“Decisions were made [as to] how we best support our players within the circumstances that happened,” he said.
Cox admitted the club’s previously acclaimed culture had “taken a hit”.
“Our culture isn’t perfect,” he said.
“We’re going to work as hard as we possibly can to get the trust back from the community, to get the culture where we desire to be, where we once had been.”
Catch up up the key moments from Dean Cox and Callum Mills’s press conference from Swans HQ.
Fri 21 Aug 2026 at 10:52amFri 21 Aug 2026 at 10:52am
The press conference is over
Dean Cox and Callum Mills have finished answering questions at Swans HQ.
Fri 21 Aug 2026 at 10:50amFri 21 Aug 2026 at 10:50am
Cox’s message to Sydney’s fans ahead of the weekend
Cox is asked what his message is to the club’s fans considering coming to this weekend’s games.
“I hope our fans stand by us and our club is united, our playing group is united, between both programs.
“We want to show that on Sunday.”
Fri 21 Aug 2026 at 10:47amFri 21 Aug 2026 at 10:47am
Is there concern for the mental health of the players?
Mills is asked whether he is concerned for the mental health of the players suspended by the club.
“There’s concern in every part. That’s the women in the community, our players involved, the women involved.
“The wellbeing of everyone involved is [of] the utmost importance.”
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Both Cox and Mills apologised to the club’s AFLW team, with Mills saying he had addressed the group personally.
“I acknowledged their pain, and I deeply apologised for the actions of a few within our group,” he said.
Cox added that he hoped the supporters would still come out in force for the double-header at the SCG this weekend.
“I hope our fans stand by us and our club is united, our playing group is united, between both programs,” he said.
“We want to show that on Sunday.”
Sydney’s men’s team rounds out its home and away season with a clash against North Melbourne on Sunday afternoon at the SCG, a match preceded by an AFLW match between Sydney’s women’s team and Essendon’s women’s team at the same venue.