AFL club Sydney Swans' players under investigation for alleged sexual assault at Melbourne hotel

Several Sydney Swans players are being linked to an alleged sexual assault incident in Melbourne.

Updated on: Aug 17, 2026, 10:15:04 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Several Sydney Swans players are being linked to an alleged incident in Melbourne, with Victoria Police investigating a reported sexual assault at the hotel where the AFL club was staying. According to The Guardian, police visited the Pullman Hotel in East Melbourne on Monday morning, hours after Sydney's victory over Essendon at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday.

Several Sydney Swans players are being linked to an alleged sexual assault incident in Melbourne. (sydney Swans - X)

Soon after, Victoria Police confirmed on Monday that an investigation had been launched into a reported sexual assault allegedly occurring at a hotel on Wellington Parade in the early hours of August 17.

“Police are investigating a report of a sexual assault in East Melbourne on 17 August,” a Victoria Police spokesperson was quoted as saying by the Guardian.

“The exact circumstances are yet to be established, and the investigation into the incident remains ongoing," the spokesperson added.

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The Sydney Swans have also acknowledged that members of their playing group were involved in an alleged incident, while stressing that the matter remains under investigation. However, the exact details were not revealed by the club.

“The Sydney Swans can confirm several players were involved in an alleged incident in Melbourne last night,” the club said in a statement.

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“The Swans have notified the AFL and relevant authorities and cannot provide further comment at this stage," the club added.

All you need to know

Police activity was reported at the Pullman Hotel on Monday as authorities worked to establish what happened. The AFL has also been notified of the matter, according to Fox Sports. At this stage, police have not publicly established the precise circumstances surrounding the reported incident, and no further details about the players involved have been officially released.

The investigation remains ongoing. With the AFL finals approaching, the developing police inquiry has placed the Swans under scrutiny at a crucial point in their season.

The investigation into the matter came immediately after a significant result for Sydney. The Swans defeated Essendon by 36 points at the MCG on Sunday, strengthening their position in the AFL finals race.

The club is currently second on the ladder and is scheduled to face North Melbourne in the next round.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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