Isaac Heeney has been named Sydney’s best and fairest for a third straight year, despite missing the Swans’ awards night as sexual assault allegations continue to cast a shadow over the AFL club.
Heeney asked not to attend Thursday night’s ceremony at Sydney Town Hall, where he was due to receive his third consecutive Bob Skilton Medal.
Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice were also absent. The five players served club-imposed suspensions during the finals after a night involving strippers at Melbourne’s Pullman East hotel on August 17.
Although Heeney missed round 24 and two finals, he polled 431 votes to comfortably secure Sydney’s top individual honour. Ruckman Brodie Grundy finished second on 400 votes, while key forward Charlie Curnow was third with 398.
The Sydney Swans awards ceremony opened with a big-screen package showcasing the team’s on-field highlights from the season. Notably, none of the so-called Pullman Five appeared in the footage.
Swans chairman Andrew Pridham later delivered a 16-minute address, using the early part of his speech to discuss the players’ suspensions and confirm that all five have strongly denied the allegations.
“This decision reflected only on their breach of club standards and behaviour,” Pridham said.
“At no time have we made any judgment on the allegations currently before police, as this is a separate matter. And as we know, the players strenuously deny the allegations.”
The Sydney Swans best and fairest awards were held at Town Hall on Thursday night, with Corey Warner, Chad Warner’s younger brother, pictured.
Isaac Heeney won the Bob Skilton Medal but did not attend the ceremony; he is pictured at his club exit meeting a week earlier.
Club chairman Andrew Pridham addressed the Pullman players’ denials of the allegations; Jake Lloyd is pictured left and James Rowbottom right.
Four of the suspended Swans players finished inside the top 10 of the count. Warner placed fourth, followed by Blakey in seventh and Jordon in 10th.
Sydney chose not to alter the medal’s eligibility or voting rules, following the AFL’s decision to take the same approach with the Brownlow Medal.
The league did not invite Heeney or Warner to last week’s Brownlow Medal ceremony.
Captain Callum Mills accepted the award on Heeney’s behalf. The midfielder appeared on a large television screen, apologised to the club and said he was looking forward to rejoining the team in 2027.
“When I was told about this honour, it was the first time I’ve smiled and felt positive about the future for a long time,” Heeney said.
“My whole life has centred around my two families. My family in Newcastle — Mum, Dad, my brother and Steph — have always been an incredible support, particularly recently. I love you, and thank you.
“And my other family, which I’ve been a part of since I was 12 years old, the Sydney Swans. A family I also love and cherish being a part of.
“I want to say to everyone, in particular my teammates, the Swans players, AFLW and the staff, from the depths of my heart, I’m truly sorry for putting you through the extreme difficulty you’ve had to endure, as it had a huge impact on our club.”
Forward Malcolm Rosas with his girlfriend Amelia Khoo, a lawyer who does work for the Swans.
Swans captain Callum Mills appeared relaxed at the event considering his team’s season
Swans coach Dean Cox (left) and assistant Leon Cameron arrived early and appeared tense
Pridham said the reasoning behind the club’s eligibility criteria was to protect the integrity of votes.
It was also to ensure off-field matters were separate from on-field performance.
‘We do not believe it would have been appropriate to retrospectively remove votes that have already been cast owing to the subsequent incident,’ Pridham said.
‘The medals awarded tonight acknowledge on-field performance across the season.
‘Erasing a season of football after the fact would, in our opinion, be inappropriate and in excess of a sanction.
‘I can assure you that we did not make any decisions we have made in recent times like that.
‘I respect that some people in this room and beyond may not agree with where we have landed tonight.
‘It has been very, very difficult, but let me be equally clear that these decisions to allow the players to remain eligible does not diminish our concern and respect for everyone involved in this.’
Joel Hamling and wife Lilly Pittard outside Town Hall on Thursday for the function
Riley Bice (left) and Chad Warner (right) were notable no-shows to the awards
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James Jordan also did not appear (pictured at his Swans HQ exit interview last week)
Tom McCartin and his model partner Sophie Walker at the awards night
Former Scots College student Harry Kyle (left) and key forward Joel Amartey, who is set to leave the club and take up a contract with Carlton.
Independent of the AFL-endorsed club bans for what the Swans termed a ‘serious breach of expected club behaviour and standards’, a police investigation into an alleged sexual assault at the Pullman Hotel is ongoing.
Detectives in early September travelled to NSW to interview a 30-year-old Maroubra man, a 25-year-old Paddington man and two Randwick men aged 25 and 26.
It is understood the men interviewed were Heeney, Warner, Jordon and Blakey.
No charges have been laid.
Daily Mail does not suggest any wrongdoing on the part of the suspended players.
The five banned players have since returned to Swans headquarters after serving their suspension and individually offered apologies to colleagues and teammates following their team’s preliminary final loss to Fremantle.
Heeney was the only player after the club meeting to address media and did so with a brief statement.
‘It was really nice to address the whole club,’ the 30-year-old said on September 23.
Charlie Curnow brought along his partner, fashion stylist Tiana Simic
James Rowbottom, Tom Papley and Dane Rampe take a selfie
Nick Blakey was absent from the night (pictured at Swans headquarters last week)
Former Swans great Barry Hall (right) was all smiles at the event
Brodie Grundy with partner, physiotherapist Rachael Wertheim
‘Extremely thankful they could give us their time and understanding, so yeah, it was really good.’
Victoria Police’s eight-week timeline prediction – which was first flagged on September 2 – on their investigation into the Pullman Hotel incident takes in the free agency and trade period (October 2-14).
All five players are contracted for next year, with Blakey signed to the club until 2031.
Warner and Jordon come off contract at the end of 2027, while Heeney and Bice are signed until the end of 2028.
Multiple reports have suggested Blakey is seeking a trade to a Victorian club, but Sydney football boss Leon Cameron dismissed those rumblings as ‘speculation’ in September.