Arabic version: استبعاد لاعبي سوانز الموقوفين من دعوة براونلو

According to ABC News, AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon says five Sydney Swans players stood down by the club will not be invited to the Brownlow Medal ceremony, though they remain eligible for the award. The ceremony is held on the Monday before the grand final.

Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, Chad Warner, Riley Bice and James Jordon were stood down for breaching club standards on drinking and staying out late following last Sunday’s win over Essendon in Melbourne. Dillon said there had been accountability for the players, adding that playing AFL is a privilege that carries responsibilities.

Victoria Police’s Sexual Crimes Squad is separately investigating a report of sexual assault. The ABC understands the matter centres on an allegation that a player touched a woman without her consent. Police said the circumstances were still being established and that a number of people had been spoken to. No charges have been laid and no arrests have been made.

Dillon said the AFL would not conduct its own enquiries until the police investigation had finished. He said the matter had overshadowed the start of the finals, but said the actions of a few did not define the wider football industry. The Swans said no staff member was involved in the investigation or was in the hotel room central to it, and that no player had been interviewed by police at that stage.