Swans crisis broadens with multiple assault allegations
Reports are emerging of new allegations from women allegedly with Sydney Swan players as many fans stayed away from watching players at their first game since the scandal.
Source: AFL
There are reports of new allegations from women who were allegedly in the Pullman Hotel room with Sydney Swans players.
The Sydney Morning Herald claims at least one extra allegation of sexual assault and multiple claims of sexual conduct without consent have been made by three women.
The new allegation from a woman represented by Jackson Pannam, of Slater and Gordon, claims she was the victim of “multiple sexual assaults”, reports the SMH.
The other two women, represented by firm Carbone Lawyers, told the masthead they had alleged to police that they were subjected to conduct of a sexual nature beyond what was agreed to with multiple men when they were engaged as topless waitresses.
The three women were allegedly engaged for the players and their friends during a night of partying following the Swans’ victory over Essendon at the MCG in round 23.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said “we have nothing further to add” when asked about the fresh allegations.
The latest claims come after the Swans men’s team on Sunday played their first game since the sexual assault scandal led to the suspension of five men’s players.
The men’s side played in front of its lowest crowd of the season against north Melbourne, attracting 30,058 fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The undermanned Swans negotiated an emotion-ridden match, winning by 53 points in the club’s first men’s and women’s double header.
The woman’s game drew a record crowd of 16,672 — doubling the previous attendance record as they defeated Essenden by 24 points.
Fears supporters would turn their backs on the men’s team when they took to the field after the women were unfounded. Large numbers donned the red and white at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Sydney’s previous low mark was 33,413, with every other home crowd over 35,000 and six of 40,000 or more.
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Some fans said they still supported the club despite feeling disappointed in players involved in the scandal.
“We support the club wholeheartedly,” Swans supporter Russell Le-Guier said.
“The club itself is what this is about, not the individual players, they’ll come and go over the years, but it’s the club itself that we support.”
Rosalie Le-Guier said she was there to support the rest of the club and players.
“You don’t punish the boys in the rest of the team,” she said.
Five Swans, including elite players Isaac Heeney and Chad Warner, have been suspended for the remainder of the AFL season for breaching the club’s standards on drinking and staying out late.
None have been arrested or charged, as Sex Crimes Squad detectives continue to investigate.
Three women allegedly at the centre of the sexual assault scandal remain fearful and in hiding as they consider potential civil claims.
It’s understood the women joined players at East Melbourne’s Pullman Hotel after the Swans’ win over Essendon last Sunday night.
One of the trio, who has engaged personal injury specialists Slater and Gordon, was navigating an “incredibly traumatic experience”, according to senior lawyer Jackson Pannam.
He said the firm had been asked to determine whether the woman, who has put multiple sexual assault allegations to police, has grounds for a civil claim.
Pannam said the woman contacted police immediately after the alleged assaults and her world had been turned upside down.
Another law firm is also helping two of the women prepare to launch action in the Victorian Supreme Court.
”We are currently investigating the circumstances and preparing to commence legal proceedings against the club and potentially the individuals involved,” Carbone Lawyers partner Manny Carbone told The Age on Friday.
Fellow lawyer John Karantzis said the two women he represented were suffering severe stress and anxiety and feared for their lives after being subjected to “abhorrent actions”.
“There’s a lot of interest in this case and they are literally in hiding and they are suffering,” he told Melbourne radio station 3AW.
Karantzis claimed more than five men were in the room at the Pullman but refused to comment when asked if it included coaches.
The Swans have “categorically” denied any staff were in the hotel room and said none are involved in the investigation.
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The AFL’s integrity unit is also investigating.
That ended a turbulent week, headlined by last Wednesday’s suspension of Heeney and Warner and Nick Blakey, Riley Bice and James Jordon for the rest of the season for “breaching club standards”.
Those sanctions are separate to the police investigation into sexual assault allegations and the alleged events at East Melbourne’s Pullman Hotel.
No charges have been laid and The New Daily is not suggesting any wrongdoing on the part of the five suspended players.
With the police investigation continuing in the background, Sydney’s other players will recover from the North clash then likely have days off before turning their attention to the finals.
The Swans have next weekend off during AFL wildcard round. In reality, the club faces two more weeks in the spotlight before hosting Brisbane in a home qualifying final.
“We’ll have a couple of recovery days in the next two or three days and then get back and train as hard as we possibly can,” coach Dean Cox said.
“The great thing is our VFL program is still going. They’ll go down and play Port Melbourne next weekend.
“We’ll be fully supportive of that and then have a good session over the weekend and attack next week.
“This week has all been about putting one foot in front of another and we’ve done that as well we possibly can.
“From there it’s about now looking at who we do play and then spending a lot of time trying to analyse a very good football team.”
Chairman Andrew Pridham said last Wednesday, when handing down the punishment to the banned players, the Swans had “torpedoed” their season. That message seemingly didn’t reach the rest of the Swans.
Charlie Curnow — who on Sunday sealed his third Coleman Medal as the season’s highest goalscorer in his first year in Sydney — has firm belief in what his new-look team can do.
“We’ve just got a lot of heart and we just want to put our eyes on that first final,” he said.
“It’s so special to show up in front of your home crowd and if we play the right way we can do anything.”
Cox added: “I don’t see this team being in a position where we don’t think we can win our first qualifying final.”
Asked whether the Swans could go further than a lot of people think, skipper Callum Mills said: “We’ll find out”.
North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson, a four-time premiership coach at Hawthorn, won’t write off Sydney without Heeney, Warner and Blakey.
“Anything can happen in finals and if you’ve got a desire like they demonstrated today, then good luck anyone that takes them lightly,” Clarkson said.
“The whole football world has pretty much written them off and that’s when the Sydney Swans are at their most dangerous and they showed that today.
“I’d be writing them off at your peril.”
1800 RESPECT 1800 737 732
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
-with AAP
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