Isaac Heeney has emerged as the central figure in a Victoria Police investigation into an alleged sexual assault connected to five Sydney Swans players.
Heeney and teammates Chad Warner, Riley Bice, Nick Blakey and James Jordon have been stood down for the rest of the 2026 AFL season after the Swans determined they had breached club standards by staying out late, drinking, and taking women back to the Pullman East Melbourne hotel in the early hours of Monday morning.
Those club-imposed suspensions are separate to the ongoing Victoria Police probe into the alleged incident at the hotel. No charges have been laid, and all five players have denied any wrongdoing.
Detectives from Victoria Police’s sex crimes squad are expected to travel to Sydney to conduct formal interviews with the players after the woman at the centre of the allegations lodged a formal complaint on Tuesday.
It is understood investigators are examining alleged conduct involving Heeney, who spoke with police on Monday before returning to Sydney. None of the players has yet been formally interviewed.
A source told The Age that the players were allegedly in a hotel room with naked women, including one woman performing lap dances, and that Heeney, who was clothed, is the subject of the complaint.
There are also allegations that cocaine and ketamine were used inside the players’ room.
Swans chair Andrew Pridham and chief executive Matthew Pavlich were questioned about the illicit drug allegations during Wednesday’s media conference.
Isaac Heeney has been revealed as the focus of the police probe into an alleged sexual assault involving five Sydney Swans players
It’s understood detectives focusing on the alleged actions of Heeney (pictured with fiancee Steffie Waters), who spoke with police on Monday before he returned to Sydney. None of the players have been formally interviewed
Sexual assault allegations emerged after five Swans players took exotic dancers up to one of their rooms at the Pullman East Melbourne hotel for ‘private lap dances’
They were also asked if the players had been drug tested, which were quickly shut down.
‘That’s potentially part of the police matter, which we aren’t going to go near,’ Pavlich said.
Details emerged on Wednesday that the five Swans players had taken exotic dancers up to one of their hotel rooms at about 4am Monday for ‘private lap dances’.
Several hours later, at about 7am, two women were seen in a shared area of the hotel approaching staff and demanding access to guest rooms, according to witnesses.
One of the women was overheard telling hotel staff she had been ‘touched’ and had felt overwhelmed while surrounded by several men in a room.
Sources claim she may have been locked out of the room, possibly naked, and was protesting that she had been violated, the Herald Sun reported.
It’s understood she approached a Swans official in the lobby and made a complaint, asking to retrieve her clothes from the room on a level that had been booked out by the club.
Police were called after one of the women later ran into the hotel toilets crying.
Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich and chair Andrew Pridham were tight-lipped about allegations of illicit drug use
The Swans issued a joint apology on behalf of the five players on Wednesday night
New claims have emerged about the alleged sexual assault involving five Sydney Swans stars (pictured: Nick Blakey, left, and Isaac Heeney, right)
Several high profile figures have publicly expressed their support for the alleged sexual assault victim, who is understood to have done extensive modelling and has a strong social media following.
Friends of the alleged victim defended the woman online on Wednesday night after a social media account criticised her.
One friend defended the woman for calling out behaviour which ‘crossed the line’, while slamming the critic for showing no respect.
The Swans issued an apology on behalf of the five suspended players on Wednesday evening.
‘We are deeply sorry to everyone involved,’ the joint statement read.
‘We know that our behaviour has fallen well short of the standards expected of us and the values of our club.
‘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 the community.’
Chad Warner (pictured with partner Alice Hughes) is among the five players stood down for the rest of the season
The club found they breached its standards by staying out late, drinking and bringing women back to the Pullman East Melbourne hotel early Monday morning. Pictured is Riley Bice
James Jordon will not play another game this season
Meanwhile, an ‘incredibly disappointed’ former Swans coach John Longmire broke his silence to admit the saga has taken a toll on the club’s culture.
He remains involved at the Swans as club performance executive director.
‘I can’t comment on the specifics of the incident or what happened, but it’s been incredibly tough for everyone involved,’ Longmire told Fox Footy’s AFL360 on Wednesday night.
‘To say that it’s been a challenging few days would be a huge understatement.
‘A lot of people, not just me but a lot of people, that have been involved in this club … for a long period of time have been really proud of that (culture).
‘The culture of the footy club, it’s taken a big hit. It’s taken a big hit.
‘It’ll take time for everyone to rebuild the trust in the football club, and that’s what the intention of everyone is to do, to get to work and rebuild the trust in the football club.’
