Sydney Swans players probed by Victoria Police over alleged hotel sexual assault

Several Sydney Swans players are the subject of a Victoria Police investigation into an alleged sexual assault at the Pullman Hotel near the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the early hours of 17 August, the club and police said. The Swans had been staying at the hotel after their victory over Essendon on Sunday.

“Police are investigating a report of a sexual assault in East Melbourne on 17 August,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said, adding that the alleged incident occurred in the hotel in the early hours of the morning. “The exact circumstances are yet to be established and the investigation into the incident remains ongoing.” Police were seen at the Pullman Hotel on Monday morning.

Sydney Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich addressed the media briefly in Sydney on Monday afternoon and confirmed “several players were involved in an alleged incident last night in Melbourne”. He said he was “shocked and disappointed” about the circumstances that have led to players becoming part of a police investigation.

Pavlich said the club had launched its own internal enquiries and was still gathering information. “We’re still piecing together exactly what’s transpired here and have our own set of internal enquiries ongoing, but it’s safe to say that we’re extremely shocked and disappointed that this has taken place and that the players have found themselves in this situation,” he said.

The club is working with the authorities on the matter, Pavlich added, and declined to give further details on whether anyone had been arrested. “We understand the level of interest in the matter and there’s going to be lots of speculation, but given it’s a police matter right now, that is all that we can say,” Pavlich said. “It’s a police matter ongoing, I’m not going to comment any further on it right now.”

The Swans sit second on the AFL ladder with one round of the home-and-away season remaining and have been identified as one of the favourites for the flag; the club is also known for its so-called “Bloods Culture”, which the organisation says promotes the importance of character as much as footballing skill.

The AFL has been made aware of the incident and is standing by for Victoria Police to complete their enquiries before commenting further.