The Sydney Swans have hit out with a fresh claim no staff member has been interviewed in the ongoing investigation into an alleged sexual assault inside the club’s hotel.
The football club issued the stern statement after Victoria Police issued its own update surrounding the sexual crime squad’s investigation into a report of alleged sexual assault.
The Swans’ statement comes as unfounded rumours about members of the club’s staff being in the hotel room on Monday morning have been shared on social media.
“The Sydney Swans supports the action taken by Victoria Police in releasing today’s statement regarding the investigation,” the club said.
“The Sydney Swans categorically confirms that no member of staff is involved in the investigation. This includes being in the hotel room central to the police investigation.
“The club reiterates that no player has been interviewed by police at this stage.”
Victoria Police said in a statement “a number of people” have been spoken to as detectives continue their inquiries.
“Detectives from the Sexual Crimes Squad continue to investigate a report of a sexual assault in East Melbourne on 17 August,” Victoria police said.
“The incident occurred at a hotel on Wellington Parade in the early hours of the morning.
“The exact circumstances of the matter are still being established and a number of people have been spoken to.
“As the investigation remains active and ongoing, we will not be commenting further including providing information on the specific circumstances of the matter, movements of detectives and any statements or interviews taken.
“Where there is information that it is appropriate and beneficial to release then we will do so.”
The Swans on Friday issued a statement to say the five players suspended — Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice — were the only representatives of the club in the room central to the police investigation.
The woman at the centre of the alleged sexual assault incident on Friday said up to nine people were in the Pullman Hotel room as players partied following their win over Essendon at the MCG on Sunday.
The club insisted on Friday that the five players wiped out for the season were the only Swans staff present.
It emerged on Friday night former Swans player Taylor Adams, a close friend of Heeney, visited the hotel room at some point on Monday morning, according to The Age.
The club’s statement that “no player has been interviewed by police at this stage” contrasts to a 7News report this week that Victoria Police sexual crimes squad detectives flew to Sydney to speak to Swans players.
The Swans’ have made no public statement about ongoing reports Heeney is at the centre of the investigation.
All five players have denied criminal wrongdoing. No formal charges have been filed. It was earlier reported no Swans player had been formally interviewed by police, however, it was reported police concluded their “interviews” with the five players as their investigation remains ongoing.
Unfounded rumours have spread about members of the club’s staff being in the hotel room on Monday morning, but the club has moved to silence unfounded claims circulating on social media about members of the coaching staff.
The alleged sexual assault incident scandal surrounds allegations a woman was inappropriately touched “beyond what was agreed” after she and another woman were called to the hotel room after 4am.
The ABC reported Victoria Police detectives have been told some Sydney players paid the two adult entertainers to allow them to consume drugs, believed to be cocaine, “from the women’s breasts and buttocks”.
Code Sports reported on Saturday one of the women was “enraged” when one male in the room slapped her buttocks four times instead of the three slaps that had been agreed.
As it has been widely reported, the two exotic dancers, arranged through Party Girls Melbourne, were called after 4am and were seen in the hotel foyer speaking with hotel staff and Swans employees, including coach Dean Cox, before 7am — meaning the entire incident unfolded in a number of hours.
There’s no suggestion Cox was inside the hotel room during the alleged incident.
Cox and captain Callum Mills were grilled by reporters on Friday. The pair categorically denied being in the room and made public apologies to the “community” and to the club’s AFL Women’s team for the behaviour of the five players.
While the focus rightly remains on the allegation of sexual assault and the welfare of the woman who made the allegation, there remains intense scrutiny on the football club ahead of its final home-and-away season match against North Melbourne at the SCG on Sunday.