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Sydney Swans players will not be charged after hotel incident, police say

Four Sydney Swans players - Isaac Heeney, James Jordon, Chad Warner and Nick Blakey, who now plays for North Melbourne - had been suspended for the rest of the season over the incident in August.

✦ Extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting•From 3 sources•2 min read•Updated November 13, 2026, 3:02 AM UTC
Key points
  • Sydney vice-captain Isaac Heeney as well as James Jordon, Chad Warner and Nick Blakey – the latter now a North Melbourne player – are understood to have assisted police with their investigation but will have no further case to answer.
  • Isaac Heeney is among the players police say will not be charged over an incident at a hotel in August [Getty] Four top Australian Football League (AFL) players who were investigated in relation to an alleged sexual assault at a hotel in Melbourne earlier this year will not be charged, police have said.
  • Australian media reported that three women, understood to be adult entertainers, had alleged inappropriate touching during the incident at the Pullman Hotel and are looking into civil action.

The Swans said in a statement that it had been "clear from the outset" that its decision to suspend the players was "separate from the police investigation, and it stands by that decision".

Four Sydney Swans players had been under investigation after an alleged sexual assault after a game in Melbourne.

Additional details
  • Jackson Pannam, of Slater and Gordon law firm, added that the move "does not amount to a finding that the incident our client reported did not occur, nor does it diminish the seriousness of what she says happened or its profound impact on her".
  • "The Club has commenced a comprehensive examination of its AFL program and is committed to acting on the findings and implementing meaningful change to build an environment that players, staff, members, supporters and corporate partners can be proud of," it said.
  • Swans CEO Matthew Pavlich told reporters it was "not a day for anyone to really celebrate" and "we're still looking very hard at the programme and understanding where we need to get better".
  • After a "thorough investigation and based on legal advice" police would not proceed with criminal charges due to "insufficient evidence", police said in a statement.
  • In a separate statement the AFL acknowledged the police decision and said it reserved the right to investigate should any further relevant information come to light.

How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →

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Every article behind this summary — 3 articles from 3 outlets

Yahoo SportsNovember 13, 2026, 3:02 AM UTC → BBC WorldNovember 13, 2026, 3:02 AM UTC → The Guardian SportNovember 12, 2026, 11:51 PM UTC →

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