The Sydney Swans played their first match since a controversy involving alleged sexual assault rocked the club, drawing a large crowd to the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday despite earlier fears of a significant fan walkout. The men's team faced North Melbourne, with many supporters donning the team's red and white colors.
Five players, Chad Warner, Riley Bice, Nick Blakey, James Jordon, and Isaac Heeney, were notably absent from the game. They were stood down by the club for the remainder of the 2026 AFL season after breaching club standards by staying out late, consuming alcohol, and bringing women back to their hotel early Monday morning. These suspensions are separate from an ongoing Victoria Police investigation into an alleged sexual assault at the hotel. The players have denied any wrongdoing, and it has been clarified that no charges have been laid.
Following the incident, calls for fans to protest by walking out of the stadium circulated on social media. While some fans did depart, the number was considerably smaller than feared, with empty seats observed in various sections of the ground.
IMAGE2
<![CDATA[IMAGE2]]> <![CDATA[IMAGE3]]>IMAGE3
<![CDATA[IMAGE4]]>IMAGE4
<![CDATA[IMAGE5]]>IMAGE5
A portion of attendees expressed their displeasure through banners. One sign read, "No more d***heads please," and was promptly removed by security. Another displayed the message, "Respect all women."
Despite the controversy, many fans reaffirmed their support for the club itself. "We support the club wholeheartedly," said Swans supporter Russell Le-Guier. "The club itself is what this is about, not the individual players... it's the club itself that we support." His partner, Rosalie Le-Guier, added that they were there to support the rest of the team, stating, "You don't punish the boys in the rest of the team."
Kate Hipsley echoed this sentiment, emphasizing support for the players who were not involved in the incident. "As far as we know, the men playing in the men's game have not done anything wrong and they will be hurting as well," she said. "I don't care about the premiership - it's more important than premierships - you care for the the culture of the team, which has taken a huge hit."
David McGilchrist expressed disappointment and shock but confirmed his attendance to support all aspects of the club. "I'm disappointed and I've got a bit of anger now as well of what's happened, but a lot of disappointment and massive shock," he said. "But I'm here to support the support the girls, the men, the club."
The Australian Football League Women's (AFLW) match preceding the men's game set a new attendance record, with 16,672 fans watching from the stands. Some fans were heard chanting in support of the team, "Sydney, Sydney."
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) and the National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service (1800 211 028) offer support services.