The good thing is the consequences have been huge. The players involved have lost a fortune, massive sponsors have pulled out from endorsements with them, and they're suspended from a crucial game. That's gonna go some way to stopping them hurting other women.

And most of all... huge support to the women they hurt that night. You matter and we are behind you ❤️

Sydney Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich, coach Dean Cox and captain Callum Mills spoke to reporters in the 24 hours after police began investigating an alleged sexual assault at the Pullman Hotel on Monday.

None of the three said much – likely on legal advice – but none felt compelled to even share a thought about the woman or women whose experiences prompted them to go to police.

For a sport with an unsatisfactory record on rape and sexual violence, this week delivered another regrettable chapter.

Nobody has been arrested or charged and formal interviews have not taken place. So far there is little detail widely known about what has occurred.

But according to family violence specialist and former chief executive of Respect Victoria, Emily Maguire, alleged victims should not be forgotten.

“They are human beings,” she says. “They are women, likely to be younger women, who need privacy, who need to make sure that they’re safe and supported and that they’ve got that support around them.”

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/aug/18/sydney-swans-hotel-alleged-sexual-assault-victims-ntwnfb

I went looking for details on this story as it hasn't reached my local news sites. SO MUCH dodgy language, oh they "invited women back to their hotel" interspersed with accounts of sexual assault. They only apologized for DRINKING and inviting women to their hotel.

At least the Guardian article actually treats the women in this story as real humans with a voice. The BBC article I found was fucking atrocious in their rape apologia language.

Yep! Best was the coach saying the players found themselves in this situation like they tripped and fell. A high up manager did a grovelling statement talking about "poor choices" of the players and the impact on the women

This is one of the better articles I could find in terms of what happened at the hotel: https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/sydney-swans-stars-break-silence-over-alleged-sexual-assault-at-melbourne-hotel/news-story/65bb84b1101393ba28fc67988249760d

That's much better than lots of the stuff I've read. What really frightens me about this assault is that these women will deal with crossed boundaries constantly, so aren't going to be so upset from "just" a crossed boundaries touch. Her dad said they were "pressuring" her for sex. I suspect there's been a moment where they've realised they had to raise pure hell and GTFO cos they were gonna get horribly hurt.

That's true. From the description of cops showing up shortly after, reporters, a whole disciplinary committee and the actions of the girls themselves, it sounds like much more than a miscommunication.

I have sex workers among my friends and can't help but think of them when I hear shit like this. Thankfully I haven't seen anything disparaging sex workers... yet.

Am I to read that as the guy was upset that the players made the poor choice to get caught?

I'd say yes given they only suspended and blamed the players after feminist social media flipped on them. Plus it came out that they paid the women to snort cocaine of their bodies, which is not a good look for the brand

I hopped in the Swans reddit sub. You'll be surprised to hear the manosphere has started attacking them

IDGAF that the women are selling adult services. It changes nothing, it's their choice what services they offer. IDGAF if these women go for compensation, it changes nothing about what the men did plus the women can't work right now! IDGAF if they're "trashy" and if they are, that is maybe why they were loud and assertive enough to get out the room safely. IDGAF if they were really filming cos they wanted to blackmail the men, it doesn't change that they were assaulted. Ffs it's 2026 we should be past this.

I'm not surprised but I'm still disappointed.

I don't care either. They were at work and a crime was done to them. And who knows, maybe they were filming in case something happened, considering sex workers face an uphill battle to prove sexual assault.

Yep! It may also be a tactic to calm clients eg lie and say it's being livestreamed to the agency so the clients work/wife will find out if they don't back off.