Sydney Swans: Kmart, BIG W and JB Hi-Fi face questions over Swans merchandise amid AFL scandal

The commercial fallout from the scandal engulfing the Sydney Swans is continuing to spread, with merchandise featuring five suspended players now being pulled from sale by one of Australia’s biggest retailers.

BIG W has confirmed to The Nightly it will pause all sales of merchandise featuring Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice pending the outcome of the matter.

The decision comes after The Nightly approached BIG W, Kmart and JB Hi-Fi over products featuring the players and asked whether the retailers planned to keep selling the merchandise.

“BIG W regularly reviews products sold in our stores, online, and on the BIG W Marketplace to ensure they align with our values and community expectations,” a BIG W spokesperson said.

“We have decided to pause all sales of merchandise featuring the involved players pending the outcome of this matter.”

The affected products had been available through independent third-party sellers on BIG W Marketplace rather than being directly sold by BIG W or stocked in its physical stores.

BIG W Marketplace operates as a digital shopfront for independent sellers, with products clearly identified as Marketplace items and labelled with the third-party vendor responsible for selling and shipping them.

Kmart and JB Hi-Fi have also been contacted by The Nightly over the future of merchandise featuring the five players.

The players were suspended by Sydney for the remainder of the AFL season for breaching club standards following events at the Pullman Hotel in East Melbourne.

Victoria Police is separately investigating a report of sexual assault following an alleged incident at the hotel.

No player has been arrested or charged and the Swans have repeatedly stressed their sanctions are separate to the ongoing police investigation.

The Nightly is not suggesting any wrongdoing by the five suspended players.

The latest retail development comes as AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon publicly addressed the allegations for the first time on Monday, declaring the treatment of women was not negotiable.

“I have been asked a lot in recent days, what message football should be sending young people and what we should be saying to our kids,” Dillon said.