AFL chief Andrew Dillon reveals the future of the five Sydney Swans players following the bombshell scandal that has rocked the entire AFL
AFL chief Andrew Dillon has declared the five Sydney players suspended for the remainder of the season will not be invited to the Brownlow, despite remaining eligible to win the award.
Speaking at the league’s AFL finals launch in Melbourne on Monday, Dillon also would not rule out further punishments for Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice or James Jordon should further information emerge regarding what allegedly occurred at the Pullman hotel last Monday.
AFL boss Andrew Dillon grilled on the Swans saga. Nine
However, he said first and foremost that the league would wait for Victoria Police’s investigation to conclude before making their own enquiries.
“Don’t want to get ahead of the police investigation, but there is the potential (for more punishments) if more information comes to light,” Dillon told reporters.
“The Swans have taken action, with the support of the AFL, based on what is known now and there’s been accountability for those players involved last week.”
The five Swans have been made ineligible for this year’s All-Australian squad, which will be announced on Tuesday, but remain eligible for the Brownlow Medal.
Heeney, Warner and Blakey were all locks for the All-Australian squad, while Heeney is an outside chance to poll highly in the Brownlow.
Despite remaining eligible, Dillon has confirmed none of the five players will receive an invite to the annual event at Crown in grand final week.
“The invitations for the Brownlow will be going out this week. Those players won’t be invited,” he said.
With reports that police allegedly removed illicit drugs from the scene last Monday, Dillon was grilled on whether the AFL would step in and demand hair tests from the five players.
The AFL boss said they would not take any actions of that sort until after the police investigation.
“The AFL won’t be making any of its own enquiries until after the police investigation is finished,” Dillon said.
“The AFL won’t get involved while there’s a police investigation underway.”
Asked directly whether the game has an illicit drugs problem, Dillon hosed those concerns down.
“The actions of a few don’t take away from the thousands involved in football who do things right,” he said.
Dillon rejected suggestions that he waited too long to hold a press conference on the Swans situation. Monday was his first public appearance in the seven days since the story broke.
He referred reporters to the various statements released by the AFL in the last week.
SOURCE: 9 NEWS
https://www.nine.com.au/sport/afl/news-sydney-swans-sexual-assault-scandal-andrew-dillon-brownlow-medal-sanctions-20260824-p60r0k.html
