Getty ImagesSydney Swans coach Dean Cox has said he is “extremely disappointed” that several players from his Australian Football League (AFL) team have been linked to a sexual assault investigation.
The club has confirmed an “alleged incident” involving an unspecified number of players occurred in the hours after the team’s win at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday – but have provided no other details.
Separately, Victoria Police have said detectives are investigating a report of a sexual assault at a hotel in East Melbourne in the early hours of Monday morning.
A spokesperson said officers have spoken to several people who were at the hotel, but no one has been arrested or formally interviewed.
“We’re working our way through everything with the AFL and relevant parties, and we’ll update when we get more information,” Cox said.
Chief executive Matthew Pavlich on Monday said the club was “still piecing together exactly what’s transpired”, and would not be drawn on the specific allegations.
“Safe to say, we’re extremely shocked and disappointed that this has taken place, and that the players have found themselves in this situation,” he said at a press conference.
“There’s going to be lots of speculation, but given it’s a police matter right now, that is all we can say.”
The Swans are currently placed second on the 2026 ladder after winning 17 out of 22 games played this year.
The AFL is facing calls to suspend the players involved in the alleged incident ahead of club’s game against North Melbourne on Sunday, which will be the last fixture for the Swans before the finals.
The league does not currently have a strict no-fault stand-down policy on players charged with serious offences such as sexual assault, and instead handles cases on a discretionary and case-by-case basis.
