Two women at the centre of the Sydney Swans sexual assault saga are preparing legal action against the club and the five players suspended over the incident, while recently retired Sydney Swans player Taylor Adams has been identified as one of the men in the East Melbourne hotel room where hired adult entertainment was present.
The women’s lawyers say they expect to launch civil proceedings in the Supreme Court of Victoria and will first issue a letter of demand to the Swans and the five players, with a source close to the matter saying that could come within weeks. That’s the machinery of power now: lawyers, club officials, suspended players, and a court system that moves only after the damage is done.
One of the women told the Herald Sun on Thursday: “I don’t want money. All I care about is justice. I’m going to stand up for what is right. And I’m never going to let this happen to anyone else. Justice will be served. I care about women’s rights and what’s right, because this happens too often to women and they get away with it.”
Who Pays for the Club’s Mess
Manny Carbone, a partner at Carbone Lawyers, said, “We are currently investigating the circumstances and preparing to commence legal proceedings against the club and potentially the individuals involved.” He added, “Our clients are extremely traumatised and feel that their dignity and personal rights have been seriously violated by the events of Monday.”
John Karantzis, the head of personal injury law and litigation at Carbone Lawyers, described the alleged assault as “demeaning, abhorrent and simply not moral or acceptable” and said, “These women were subjected to the most disgusting actions and behaviour I have ever heard about in my 28 years as a lawyer.” He also said, “They’re suffering severe stress and anxiety. They’re actually fearing for their life at the moment ... they are literally in hiding and they are suffering.”
A source close to the women, but not authorised to speak publicly, said at least one was “traumatised” by the incident and subsequent fallout from the unfolding scandal, having sought professional psychological treatment. The costs of this kind of institutional rot always land at the bottom first. The club gets statements. The women get fear, hiding, and treatment.
The five Swans players — Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice — have been suspended from play for the rest of this year for their part in the incident that unfolded in a Pullman East Melbourne hotel room in the early hours of last Monday. A woman hired to visit the room has alleged she was touched outside a previous agreement by one of the players, and police are still investigating. Star player Isaac Heeney is at the centre of the police inquiry.
Two sources briefed on the incident, but not authorised to speak publicly, said Adams, 32, was at the Pullman East Melbourne in the early hours of Monday morning, along with another unknown man. The report said it was not known whether Adams was there when a sexual assault is alleged to have occurred, and he did not respond to a request for comment.
What the Club Says
The Sydney Swans said their own investigations had consistently indicated that the only representatives of the club in the room central to the police investigation were the five players who have been stood down. “The Sydney Swans can confirm that all investigations carried out by the club have consistently indicated that the only representatives of the club in the room central to the police investigation were the five players who have been stood down,” the club said in a statement on Friday morning. “We have every reason to consider that reports to the contrary are simply false. We are respecting the process with the relevant authorities and will refrain from commenting on police matters. We would also like to take this opportunity to condemn some of the misinformation being reported and are now considering our legal position on those matters,” the statement read.
That’s the familiar choreography of institutions under pressure: deny, condemn “misinformation,” and lean on the “relevant authorities” while the people harmed wait for something resembling accountability. The club’s language is careful. The women’s account is not.
Callum Mills, the captain, said the events of the week were cause to “put the mirror up to all men within society and all men within the club.” He said, “I’m deeply shocked and disappointed to be here. I firstly want to apologise to the AFLW players, our female staff, and the women in our lives, our partners, mothers, sisters, and all women within the community.” Mills added, “We take these allegations extremely seriously, and we hope the women involved are getting all the support they deserve. We’re really disappointed at the actions of these five players, and as a playing group, we fully support the club’s decision on the sanctions handed down. We take full responsibility, and we are deeply sorry.”
Mills had addressed the club’s AFLW players earlier this week ahead of a first double-header featuring the two teams at the SCG on Sunday. “I addressed the AFLW players, and I acknowledge their pain, and I deeply apologised for the actions of a few within our group,” he said. Coach Dean Cox also apologised to the women at the club. “We are extremely disappointed at the actions of the players, and the sanctions imposed by the board show how serious we take these matters. To those women involved, I hope everyone is getting the support they need,” Cox said. “Our culture isn’t perfect. One thing that we do know is our culture has taken a hit. The thing you need to understand about a culture is how you respond and the actions you take following being here. We’re going to work through and, as hard as we possibly can, to get the trust back from the community to get to the culture where we’re desired to be, where we once have been.”
Damage Control, Not Justice
AFLW captain Lucy McEvoy said the club has “taken a reputational hit.” She said, “On behalf of the playing group, we also support the club in the sanctions that were handed down to the players. We are incredibly disappointed, as a lot of people are, with what’s occurred at the beginning of this week, and we know that the actions of those five players are not a reflection of the broader club and the programs more broadly.” McEvoy denied there was any rift between the AFL and AFLW programs, saying the club was “absolutely united,” with the two programs sharing a barbecue at the club’s headquarters this week. She said the women’s team had not discussed how they would feel about any of the five players returning to the club in the future, but when asked if it was something she would like input in, she said, “absolutely, yes.”
McEvoy also said she and the other women’s players appreciated Mills speaking with the group. “He [Mills] was quite remorseful on behalf of the men’s program, and he’s a really class human being, Millsy,” she said. “The respect he has for us and the respect we have for him and the way he’s handled himself this week is second to none, and we couldn’t have asked more from him as a captain of the men’s program, and we really appreciate him taking the time to wrap his arms around us as a football club.”
Sponsors including Colgate, Telstra and Nike have already been pausing or standing down relationships with the players including Heeney and Warner. That’s where the money moves first. Not to the women. Not to the truth. To the brand managers, the sponsors, and the people trying to protect the club’s image while the police inquiry continues.
The article also said Adams retired in June after his career at the Swans was marred by injury. It said the midfielder spent the bulk of his career at Collingwood, notably playing 23 games in the 2023 season before missing out on the side’s premiership because of a hamstring injury, and then requested the trade to the Swans.