One of the women involved in the Sydney Swans hotel scandal has offered a message of sympathy to the partners of the players implicated, specifically addressing Isaac Heeney's fiancée, Steffie Waters.
Speaking after weeks of intense public scrutiny, the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, stated that the situation has been "horrible" for the players' partners, including Waters. "I feel for her," the woman said. "This would be horrible for her and I feel for every woman involved, especially us [the dancers]." She described the ongoing headlines as "heartbreaking" and referred to Waters as "the poor girl."
Five Sydney Swans players, including Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice, and James Jordon, were stood down for the remainder of the AFL season following a private party at the Pullman East Melbourne hotel on August 17. The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday morning after the team's victory over Essendon. Three women subsequently filed police reports regarding inappropriate behavior.
While the club's decision to stand down the players is separate from the Victoria Police investigation, media reports have focused on the personal impact of the scandal. The Daily Mail does not suggest that any of the named Swans players are under police investigation or involved in any wrongdoing.
Of the four players in relationships, Heeney's engagement to Waters has drawn significant attention. Waters has been pictured since the fallout, having reportedly fled to Noosa, Queensland, to stay with family. During her time in Noosa, she was seen without her engagement ring, which a source told The Daily Telegraph was being repaired by a jeweler.
Waters, who typically maintains an active social media presence, had taken a break and deleted an Instagram account dedicated to a home renovation project with Heeney. She recently made a low-key return to social media when her sister posted a photograph of Waters with her nephews. The image depicted Waters dressed casually, spending time with the children in a living room setting.
Swans officials have refuted rumors that Waters was present at the hotel during the time the initial complaints were made. There had been circulating claims that Waters arrived at the hotel while coach Dean Cox was speaking with the three women who later filed police reports. The club has dismissed these reports as false, categorizing them alongside other unsubstantiated information circulating online, such as a debunked image of a woman with a facial injury that was later identified as an unrelated photograph from a UK tabloid.