'Abhorrent': Women in Swans' alleged sexual assault probe fear for their lives, lawyer says

Two women at the centre of an investigation involving five players from the Sydney Swans AFL club were subjected to "abhorrent" actions, the women's lawyer alleges, further stating that they fear for their lives.

John Karantzis, acting for two of the three women involved, says more than five men were in the hotel room and accuses Swans hierarchy of not yet being fully transparent.

Sydney banned five players — Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice and James Jordon — for the rest of the AFL season for breaching club standards at East Melbourne's Pullman Hotel on Monday morning.

Victoria Police Sex Crimes Squad detectives are investigating. No charges have been laid.

Karantzis said more than five men were in the room but refused to comment when asked if other Swans staff members were present.

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"It's more than five, that's for sure," he told Melbourne radio station 3AW on Friday.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the five players were suspended, Swans coach Dean Cox said at a press conference on Friday that he was unaware of the claim that more men were involved, but the club was working with police to determine the details.

"I cannot comment on what happened in the room. It is a police investigation," Cox said before adding he was not in the room.

The Swans later issued a statement saying only the five players reported were in the room and condemned "misinformation" being circulated.

"We have every reason to consider that reports to the contrary are simply false," the statement said.

Cox conceded he and other club leaders needed to take responsibility for rebuilding the Swans' reputation.

"I've been at the football club for nine years. Every person within those four walls we value extremely highly and they have a massive say on our culture as a group," he said.

"We understand as leaders we need to lead that culture, but what we are going to do is back ourselves, and we're going to move forward and we're going to strive as strongly as we possibly can to repay the faith."