Cox says Swans five will remain banned regardless of police probe result
Sydney coach Dean Cox says none of the five banned players will have their suspensions shortened regardless of the outcome of a police investigation.
Victoria Police has interviewed four Sydney men as part of an investigation into sexual assault allegations at East Melbourne's Pullman Hotel last month.
Cox, who remains in contact with the five players, says the timeframe on the investigation is out of Sydney's control.
Sydney's five exiled players will remain stood down until the end of the AFL season, regardless of how an ongoing police investigation unfolds.
Victoria Police has interviewed four Sydney men as part of an investigation into sexual assault allegations during a post-AFL match party at East Melbourne's Pullman Hotel.
Swans players Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice and James Jordon were suspended for the remainder of the season for "breaching club standards" and will not be at the SCG for the club's qualifying final against Brisbane on Saturday.
Swans coach Dean Cox reiterated those sanctions would remain unchanged despite police interviewing only four men.
Detectives confirmed they travelled to NSW this week to interview a 30-year-old Maroubra man, a 25-year-old Paddington man and two Randwick men aged 25 and 26.
No charges have been laid and the ABC is not suggesting any wrongdoing on the part of the five suspended players.
"All five will remain stood down from the football club," Cox said on Thursday.
"That's one thing that we spoke about at the start, the police investigation and then the behavioural nature of it.
Police have flagged that an update to the investigation is not expected for at least eight weeks.
Cox, who has remained in contact with the five players over their wellbeing, said the timeframe was out of the club's control as it wrestled with making a call on the group's playing future.
The eight-week period takes in the free agency and trade period from October 2 to October 14.
5News aggregated this summary from the outlet’s public feed. The full article, with all the context, is on www.abc.net.au — the content belongs to ABC News Australia - Top Stories.