Sydney Swans coach and captain speak out after exotic dancer at centre of alleged hotel sexual assault scandal tells her story

Updated: 01:57, 21 August 2026 Sydney Swans senior coach Dean Cox and captain Callum Mills faced the media this morning as the team prepares to finish out its AFL season in the wake of an alleged sexual assault that has plagued the club this week. Isaac Heeney and teammates Chad Warner, Riley Bice, Nick Blakey and James Jordon have been stood down for the remainder of the 2026 AFL season after the club found the players had breached its standards by staying out late, drinking and bringing women back to the Pullman East Melbourne hotel early Monday morning. The suspensions are separate from a Victoria Police investigation into an alleged sexual assault at the hotel. No charges have been laid, and all players have denied wrongdoing. It comes as the exotic dancer at the centre of the scandal broke her silence to the Daily Mail, revealing the fallout after fans leaked her name. Meanwhile, Carbone Lawyers personal injury head John Karantzis claimed on Friday that there were more than five men in the Pullman East Melbourne hotel room and alleged the group included 'leaders' from the Sydney Swans. 'With what has been alleged, these women were subject to the most disgusting actions and behaviour I have ever heard about in my 28 years as a lawyer,' Mr Karantzis told 3AW's Tom Elliott. 'These women already have a difficult job and what they were subjected to is alleged, demeaning, abhorrent, and simply not moral or acceptable.' Asked how many men were allegedly in the room and who they were, Mr Karantzis said the full story was yet to emerge. 'It's more than five (men in the room), that's for sure,' he said. 'More than five men and it's alleged that there were even a few leaders in that room.' When Elliott asked whether he meant coaches, Mr Karantzis said: 'I can't say in concern to that, that is for the Sydney Swans to say.' Cox was later asked about the lawyer's claims and his description of the alleged behaviour. 'Dean, a lawyer for two of the women spoke this morning and described the behaviour as disgusting, abhorrent, the worst he has ever heard of a woman being subjected to in his 28 years of being a lawyer,' a journalist said. 'I respond to - the utmost, the highest level about respecting women. I have always been like that,' Cox said. 'I can't comment on what a lawyer says about something other than, you know, we'll work through our process and my stance on respect for women is of the highest order.' Follow Daily Mail's live coverage.  When asked why the five suspended players were driven back from Melbourne to Sydney on Monday, rather than flying as the rest of the playing team did, Cox shrugged and said he 'was back in Sydney.' 'Decisions were made [as to] how we best support our players within the circumstances that happened,' he said. Carbone Lawyers personal injury head John Karantzis claimed on Friday that there were more than five men in the Pullman East Melbourne hotel room and alleged the group included 'leaders' from the Sydney Swans. 'With what has been alleged, these women were subject to the most disgusting actions and behaviour I have ever heard about in my 28 years as a lawyer,' Mr Karantzis told 3AW's Tom Elliott. 'These women already have a difficult job and what they were subjected to is alleged, demeaning, abhorrent, and simply not moral or acceptable.' Asked how many men were allegedly in the room and who they were, Mr Karantzis said the full story was yet to emerge. 'It's more than five (men in the room), that's for sure,' he said. 'More than five men and it's alleged that there were even a few leaders in that room.' When Elliott asked whether he meant coaches, Mr Karantzis said: 'I can't say in concern to that, that is for the Sydney Swans to say.' Cox was later asked about the lawyer's claims and his description of the alleged behaviour. 'Dean, a lawyer for two of the women spoke this morning and described the behaviour as disgusting, abhorrent, the worst he has ever heard of a woman being subjected to in his 28 years of being a lawyer,' a journalist said. 'How do you respond to that?' 'I respond to - the utmost, the highest level about respecting women. I have always been like that,' Cox said. 'I can't comment on what a lawyer says about something other than, you know, we'll work through our process and my stance on respect for women is of the highest order.' Dean Cox has refused to confirm if any other Sydney Swans staff were with the five players on Monday morning where the alleged sexual assault took place. When asked by a reporter if any other Swans staff members were in the Pullman Hotel room, Cox said: 'That's a police investigation.' The reporter said: 'Isn't that something the Swans would know? You can answer that.' 'That's a police investigation so all (of) that will be brought out in due course,' Cox said. Sydney Swans captain Callum Mills has spoken out for the first time since the sexual assault allegations emerged. He apologised for the club's AFLW players and female staff and then towards women in the wider community. 'We take these allegations extremely seriously, and we hope the women involved are getting all the support they deserve,' Mills said. 'We really are disappointed at the actions of these five players, and as a playing group we fully support the club's decisions on the sanctions handed down. 'We take full responsibility, and we are deeply sorry.' Sydney Swans senior coach Dean Cox has apologised to the women at the centre of the alleged sexual assault allegations involving players. ‘I apologise to them, along with the women in the community, for the actions of the players,' Cox said during a press conference on Friday morning. 'We are extremely disappointed at the actions of the players, and the sanctions imposed by the board show how seriously we take these matters. 'To those women involved, I hope everyone is getting the support they need.' Cox also admitted the Swans’ culture was not ‘perfect’ and said he hoped the club could regain the trust of the community. ‘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,’ he said. 'We're going to work as hard as we possibly can to get the trust back from the community, to get the culture where we desire it to be, where it once had been.' Swans stars Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice and James Jordon released a joint statement of apology on Wednesday evening. 'We are deeply sorry to everyone involved,' they said in the statement released by the Swans. 'We know that our behaviour has fallen well short of the standards expected of us and the values of our club. 'We know we have let down our partners and families, members, supporters, teammates, the AFLW team, corporate partners and everyone at the club and the wider community. 'We accept the club sanction and apologise for the impact this has had on those involved. Our focus will now be on rebuilding trust with the club and the community.' Lucy Manly is now aware of claims swirling via WhatsApps that a camera was set up and footage of the gathering exists. Whether the alleged camera set-up was done by the boys to preserve the striptease for posterity or was for the entertainers' own protection is unclear. Sydney Swans players 'filmed BY strippers' during hotel chaos The Swans scandal has deepened with fresh claims circulating among sporting and media insiders via WhatsApp. And it could spell further trouble for team golden boy Isaac Heeney. Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice, James Jordon and Chad Warner have been barred from playing the remainder of the 2026 season for breaching the club's standards by late-night drinking and bringing women back to the Pullman East Melbourne hotel early on Monday morning. The suspensions are separate from a Victoria Police investigation into an alleged sexual assault at the hotel. No charges have been laid and all players have denied wrongdoing. Sydney Swans senior coach Dean Cox and captain Callum Mills will hold a press conference at 10.30am on Friday as the club prepares to face North Melbourne at home this weekend. One of the three lap dancers who provided official statements to police over the Sydney Swans hotel scandal has spoken exclusively to Daily Mail, revealing she feared for her life after her identity was leaked online. The young woman, whom the Mail has chosen not to name, claims she was at Melbourne's Pullman Hotel in the early hours of Monday after being hired as a topless waitress to entertain several AFL players, who had claimed they were tradies. Since her name was exposed online, she says she has received a barrage of threats from angry Swans fans who are convinced that the scandal has derailed their team's chances of winning the Grand Final. Sydney Swans topless waitress breaks her silence on hotel incident In an exclusive interview, the woman says strangers contacted her father, accused her of chasing a payday and left her fearing for her safety - as she warns: 'I know what happened in that room.' Sydney Swans star Isaac Heeney has had his deal with Colgate suspended as his children's books are removed from shelves in the wake of the alleged sexual assault investigation. Heeney has been identified as the focus of the police probe, sparking a massive commercial fallout, with organisations and companies either suspending their partnerships or severing ties with the Sydney Swans player and club. He also launched his new children's book series, Little Isaac Footy Fever, with the first two issues, First Bounce and Game On, released on August 4. Readings and Gleebooks told the ABC that Heeney's books, published by Allen and Unwin, would no longer be available from stores. Several Sydney Swans fans have vowed to walk out of the SCG when the club faces North Melbourne after the AFLW game against the Essendon Bombers on Sunday. 'I paid money to fly my kids up from Melbourne for Sunday's game,' one wrote on Reddit. 'I've already warned them we might not be watching the men, depending on what the club does about this.' 'I think a walk out is the least the fans can do. (It) sends a clear message to everyone across the sport,' a second said. Others said the gesture would be a 'slap in the face' to the rest of the team, who have not been connected to the scandal. Sydney Swans fans vow to boycott Sunday's match Sydney Swans fans have vowed to walk out in the middle of Sunday's double header at the SCG. All but one of the Sydney Swans players stood down for bringing exotic dancers back to their hotel for lap dances after a late-night booze fest are in committed relationships, with one WAG moving across the country to support his football career. Inside the love lives of Sydney Swans stars banned over exotic dancer All but one of the Sydney Swans players stood down for bringing women back to their team hotel after a boozy night out are in committed relationships.