Arabic version: كوكس يؤكد استمرار إيقاف لاعبي سيدني طوال تحقيق الشرطة

According to ABC News, Sydney coach Dean Cox says five Swans players will remain suspended for the rest of the AFL season regardless of the outcome of a Victoria Police investigation. The club’s sanctions are separate from the inquiry into sexual assault allegations at a post-match party at East Melbourne’s Pullman Hotel last month.

Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice and James Jordon were stood down for the remainder of the season for “breaching club standards”. They will not attend Sydney’s qualifying final against Brisbane at the SCG on Saturday.

Victoria Police has interviewed four Sydney men. Detectives travelled to NSW this week to interview a 30-year-old Maroubra man, a 25-year-old Paddington man, and two Randwick men aged 25 and 26. No charges have been laid, and ABC News said it was not suggesting wrongdoing by the five suspended players.

“All five will remain stood down from the football club,” Cox said on Thursday. He said the police investigation and the club’s behavioural response would remain separate, while adding that the investigation timetable was outside Sydney’s control.

Police have indicated no update is expected for at least eight weeks, a period covering the October 2 to October 14 free agency and trade window. Cox said he has stayed in contact with the players regarding their wellbeing, while maintaining Sydney’s focus on its finals campaign against the reigning premiers.