"Shock, anger": Former Swans coach breaks silence Sydney scandal

Tom Morris has confirmed that the five Sydney Swans players are currently under police investigation over an alleged inappropriate touching.

Having been revealed on Tuesday that the investigation surrounded an alleged sexual assault, Morris has tonight revealed in closer terms that the players under investigation allegedly breached boundaries set by three women in a Melbourne hotel.

"The allegation is for inappropriate touching," Morris said on Seven's The Agenda Setters.

"I don't think it's advantageous to delve into that any more right now, while this is a legal process that is unfolding."

More to come.

Former Swans senior coach John Longmire has broken his silence on the ongoing allegations of a sexual assault involving five Sydney players.

Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice and James Jordon have today been suspended for the remainder of the AFL season as an ongoing police report investigates an alleged sexual assault at a Melbourne hotel in the early hours of Monday morning.

Longmire, who spent 14 seasons as the head coach of the Swans, departed the club at the end of the 2024 season, coaching four of the five players currently under investigation.

Speaking on the matter, Longmire expressed the disappointment that he and his associates at the Swans have felt over the week, noting his connection with a number of the players facing such severe allegations.

“(It's been) incredibly tough,” Longmire told Fox Footy's AFL360.

“I can’t comment on the specifics of the incident or what happened, but it’s been incredibly tough for everyone involved, both tight and closely associated with it, and then as you get further and further out with the layers that are involved in this.

“To say it’s been a challenging few days would be a huge understatement.”

Is this the worst experience in your time in footy?

“Yeah, I’m not just speaking for myself but speaking for a number of people closely associated with this club. There’s not many that you could compare to this.”

What was your initial reaction when you first heard the news?

“The first news I found out Monday was, shock. It took a while for that to sink in. Incredible disappointment and then just deep sadness. Like everybody, whether you’re closely connected to this or you’re further out, you’re a supporter or a member, the emotions don’t have to be guessed too much. Those emotions were all apart of it. It was just incredible deep sadness, and that is where we are still sitting.”

How do you take in the course that your club has chosen?

“It’s a really interesting and difficult position to be in for anybody to weigh up all the associated parties to this and get it all correctly all the way along. First and foremost, it’s the care for the people involved. Then you go to partners, families, trying to get that balance right. Supporters, members, corporate partners, there are just so many layers to it and trying to get it all right has been the clear focus on what we’ve been trying to do over the last couple of days and understanding that everybody is going to feel a little bit differently about it, and we have to respect that as well.”

Did you have to put the premiership aspirations totally to the side?

“The football aspirations weren’t part of the discussions. They were very much in the background, and the forefront was the other people issues – as they should have been. From there, we work our way out. The football discussions were at the very backend of everything that we talked about. There are much bigger priorities in what happened over the last couple of days.”

How flattening would it be for a coach and a captain?

“It’s flattening for a lot of people. The coach, the captain, the players – both men’s and women’s - partners, families. It’s a challenge for everybody to be able to get through and to be able to put one foot in front of the other and get things right. We feel for anybody that’s involved in this.”

What’s the level of disappointment in the players that you have great experience with over a long period of time?

“I’d be like the players’ partners or the players’ partners. You go from shock and disappointment, maybe even a little bit of anger in that, you get a bit of those emotions. But then you also care about people – tyring to get that balance right is very tricky. The shock and disappointment of Sunday night and understanding that you want to care for people is a challenge for everyone. You try to just be there as best as you can, but there’s no doubt that disappointment, shock and anger is a part of it.”

SEN and Channel Seven reporter Tom Morris has revealed that drug use was allegedly involved in the Sydney Swans' Monday morning scandal at a Melbourne hotel.

In an update on the alleged sexual abuse allegations, Morris revealed that the players were allegedly using cocaine within the hotel room, while it remains unclear as to which players took part.

"Tonight, we can tell you that there was drug use involved," Morris told 7News.

"It's unclear which players were involved in this drug use, but I am willing to say tonight that there were multiple players taking cocaine.

"The players were not drug tested by the AFL in the days after and the club has been contacted for comment.

"The topless waitresses were booked through Party Girls Melbourne by a player and a third waitress also arrived at 5:30am for a two-hour booking.

"Each waitress, my understanding is, was paid $210. That's $630 in total plus tips for extra services and a deposit.

"All three have now given a statement to police, and the club has denied that there were more than five players in the room.

"No players have been charged and all players are assisting the police with their investigations."

Amid reports of an alleged sexual assault, five Sydney Swans players have been removed from All-Australian calculations.

Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice and James Jordon have today been suspended for the remainder of the AFL season as an ongoing police report investigates an alleged sexual assault at a Melbourne hotel in the early hours of Monday morning.

It has since been announced by the AFL that the five players will no longer be considered for an All-Australian call-up, both within the 46-man squad and the final 23-man team.

The squad, which was initially set to be announced on Tuesday afternoon, has been delayed until next week, with the AFL revealing that the Swans currently under investigation will not be considered in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.

"Following the decision and appropriate club sanction imposed by the Sydney Swans today in relation to the conduct of five of their players, the AFL has determined those players will not be considered for selection in the 2026 All-Australian squad," the AFL said in a statement.

"This decision is independent of the ongoing Victoria Police investigation.

"The 2026 All-Australian squad will be finalised on Monday 24 August, with the team announced at the AFL Awards on Tuesday 25 August in Melbourne."

Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner and Nick Blakey were all in the running for an All-Australian blazer having all made the team in years past.

The 46-man squad will now be released next Tuesday, the 25th of August.

More to come.