Sydney Swans star Isaac Heeney once described himself as an 'in-season saint,' generally avoiding excessive drinking during the AFL season. This comment, made in a 2025 interview with News Corp, has resurfaced after Heeney and four teammates received season-ending bans for their behavior following the team's victory over Essendon.
In the earlier interview, Heeney discussed the rules around alcohol during the AFL season, stating, "You really only have a few drinks when there's an eight-day, like a longer break between games." He added that if there was a seven-day gap between games, "you can have a few drinks but you sort of look after yourself." He also mentioned, "If it's a Saturday to a Sunday game, you can have a few beers to loosen up. But even then, throughout the season you generally don't get carried away." He concluded by saying, "I'm a bit of a saint in season, then loosen up in the off-season."
The remarks have taken on new significance after the Swans imposed bans on Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice, and James Jordon. The club determined that the five players had violated its behavioral standards by consuming alcohol, staying out late, and bringing women back to the Pullman East Melbourne hotel early last Monday morning. This incident occurred after Sydney defeated Essendon at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, securing a home qualifying final.
The suspensions include the entire finals series, posing a significant challenge to the club's premiership aspirations. The club's disciplinary action is separate from an ongoing Victoria Police investigation into a reported sexual assault at the hotel, for which no charges have been laid. It has not been suggested that any of the five suspended players are accused of sexual assault.
Collectively, the players issued an apology after accepting their sanctions. "We are deeply sorry to everyone involved," their statement read. "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 in the wider community."
The scandal has also intensified scrutiny on Heeney's personal life, particularly his engagement to Steffie Waters. Waters was seen without her engagement ring while in Noosa, initially sparking questions about the couple's wedding plans. However, a relative clarified that the couple remains together and is still planning their wedding, explaining that the ring was being repaired after its stone fell out.
Heeney was absent from Sydney's recent match against North Melbourne at the Sydney Cricket Ground, which the Swans won by 53 points. Hundreds of supporters departed after the preceding AFLW match, but those who remained gave the men's team a standing ovation following their victory.