Sydney Swans suspend five players amid police probe

The Sydney Swans have suspended five players for the rest of the Australian Football League season while Victoria Police investigate an alleged sexual assault at a Melbourne hotel where the team was reportedly staying.

The club named the players as Riley Bice, Nick Blakey, Isaac Heeney, James Jordon and Chad Warner. It did not give a reason for the sanctions and said the players would not be considered for selection for the rest of the season, which ends in late September.

“The AFL is supportive of the club's sanctions,” the Swans said. “We respect there is an ongoing investigation by Victoria Police and the actions we have taken today are independent of this.”

Neither the club nor police have made any allegation of wrongdoing against any of the players.

The Swans said this week they were “extremely shocked and disappointed” after several players were involved in an “alleged incident” in Melbourne, without giving details.

Victoria Police said they were investigating an alleged sexual assault in the early hours of Monday. “The exact circumstances are yet to be established and the investigation into the incident remains ongoing,” police said.

Police said they had spoken to a number of people at the hotel but that no one had been arrested or formally interviewed at that time.

The Swans, second on the AFL ladder, defeated Essendon at the Melbourne Cricket Ground the previous day.