Father of alleged victim at centre of Sydney Swans saga claims she suffered medical episode before seeking help

The woman at the centre of the Sydney Swans scandal was forced to seek help after suffering a medical episode, her father has revealed to 7NEWS.

The man said his daughter had been struggling to breathe but was not offered assistance, forcing her to leave the room and seek help from hotel staff.

The woman and her father cannot be identified due to the nature of the allegations currently being investigated.

Police were called to the Pullman Hotel in East Melbourne in the early hours of Monday after a report of an alleged sexual assault involving members of the Sydney Swans playing group and three women.

Five players — Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice and James Jordon — have since been suspended, although the club has stressed those sanctions are independent of the police investigation.

While the circumstances inside the hotel room remain under investigation, the father of one of the women in the room has now revealed his daughter suffered an asthma attack during the incident.

“It was a lack of response to a medical episode that triggered the event,” he claimed.

“No assistance provided or care given. Subsequently it evolved to what it’s evolved to.

“I think she was fine and then something triggered it. I don’t know what triggered it.”

Asked about the reports of his daughter leaving the hotel room, the father said “no help was forthcoming” as she suffered the medical episode.

He was also adamant his daughter was not seeking money as a result of the allegations.

Her father said his daughter had initially responded to the situation with determination, at one point expressing a desire to join the police.

“When it first started, she said, ‘I’m going to become a cop so I can get inside this insidious industry’,” he said.

He said the events and their aftermath had since taken a significant toll on her.