Sydney Swans’ Pullman Five were cleared but not forgotten or forgiven by bitter club
Even though the police chose not to charge the Pullman Five with sexual assault, their club’s response shows innocence is not enough to protect AFL players caught up in controversy.
The Pullman Five have been cleared by the Victoria Police. But the Sydney Swans have not forgiven them.
The AFL club’s response to the end of the police investigation did not offer any sympathy to players Riley Bice, Isaac Heeney, James Jordon, Chad Warner or Nick Blakey (since traded to North Melbourne) for the three months of speculation about what happened in a room at Melbourne’s Pullman Hotel on August 17.
By promising “meaningful change to build an environment that players, staff, members, supporters and corporate partners can be proud of,” the club showed that it does not intend to publicly defend players who get caught celebrating victories by hiring sex workers.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich amplified the sombre response outside the club’s headquarters today. “This is not a day for anyone to really celebrate,” he said.
At least not publicly.
The club’s position has important consequences for how its players live their lives.
If they were not already aware, from now it is clear that if Swans players engage in high-risk activities that lead to accusations of sexual misconduct, innocence may not protect them. The off-field game is just as serious as what happens on the field.
Second chance
The player who received the most attention, midfielder Isaac Heeney, recognised this reality. On Friday he sounded like a man given a second chance at life.
“The Swans have given me an opportunity to live out a childhood dream and I am fully focused on repaying that faith by being the best person and player I can be,” he said in a written statement.
The young sportsmen became a symbol of the mistreatment of women. Men and women in the Sydney Cricket Ground stands turned their backs on the players out of disgust at what they believed had happened, which initially sounded like a group sex assault.
Even Governor-General Sam Mostyn, the first female AFL commissioner, was horrified enough to express her concerns publicly.
“At times like this, we are reminded to never take for granted the need for constant vigilance for respectful treatment of women everywhere; across clubs, the AFL, sport, and the community generally,” she told the ABC.
Insufficient evidence
There was a counter view, which claimed victory on Friday.
Some commentators, and plenty members of the public, felt the five men’s reputations were being destroyed based on flimsy, untested allegations. No one directly involved would explain what happened, creating an information vacuum that was filled with conjecture. That the three women had been hired to go to the hotel led to questions about their motives.
The Victoria Police did not help the Pullman Five by quickly confirming they were investigating “a report of a sexual assault” and an “incident occurred at a hotel on Wellington Parade in the early hours of the morning”.
Three months later, the police abandoned the investigation without clearing the men. Criminal charges would not be pressed “due to insufficient evidence”, the police said on Friday.
“Due to the ongoing civil matter, Victoria Police is unable to make further comment.”
The police force added to the perception that it wanted to forget about the story as badly as the Swans by disclosing the decision four minutes before Cricket captain Pat Cummins held an all-journos-welcome press conference at the SCG on Sandpapergate.
Details of a lawsuit against the players, the club and retired teammate Taylor Adams by two of the three women have not been made public. No doubt it includes embarrassing allegations, which means the men may face another unpleasant choice: defend themselves in court or seek a financial settlement with their accusers.
It would not be unusual if illicit drugs were consumed or paid sexual activity took place at the Pullman early that morning. Almost half the Australian population has taken non-prescription drugs and 16 to 16.7 per cent of men have had paid for sex, according to academic studies.
Who knows? Maybe they were talking philosophy and braiding hair before dawn broke.
Either way, the Swans case has made it clear that the rewards for being an AFL player includes danger pay — and if things really turn bad, they’re on their own.
