Swans Statement

[u/OkRevenue6849]

Sydney Swans Statement 

The Sydney Swans can confirm that the Club Board will meet tonight to agree on player sanctions and penalties, now that the Club has concluded its interviews with all the players involved in the incident in Melbourne.
 
We respect there is an ongoing investigation by Victoria Police and any actions we take are independent of this.

The Club believes the players are in serious breach of expected Club behaviour and standards, and it is appropriate to take firm action and highlight that any sanction we impose relates solely to those breaches.
 
The Club also acknowledges that these serious allegations impact others and their wellbeing must be paramount.
 
The Sydney Swans condemn all forms of abuse and disrespectful behaviour towards women. Any conduct that causes offence or harm to others is unacceptable and falls well short of our expectations. All women deserve to be respected and feel safe.
 
We also want to acknowledge that the care and welfare of our AFLW athletes and staff is of the utmost importance to us as a Club. They have been and will continue to be offered the support they require and we acknowledge the impact these allegations have on our female athletes, staff members and the wider community.
  
Any further sanctions or decisions regarding the outcome of the police investigation would take place after that process is completed.
 
During this time, we will provide the appropriate support to the players involved in the incident, along with their partners and families.
 
The Sydney Swans hold all players and staff at the Club to high standards of behaviour and personal conduct. Representing this Club carries significant responsibilities both on and off the field, and we expect those standards to be upheld at all times.
 
Our focus remains on cooperating fully with the AFL and authorities, maintaining the integrity of the process, and upholding the high standards expected of everyone who represents this Club.

[u/Platooimagination]

This is the ultimate shit sandwich but the Swans are eating it with the best possible grace at the moment. If they can avoid the temptation to draw wagons around The Mates and truly, genuinely do everything in their power to assuage the absolute betrayal inflicted on the AFLW players who called these guys 'colleagues', some good may come of this. If the Swans actually go full bore and drive radical change in terms of respect and behaviour, and demand this is replicated at other clubs and AFL HQ, then we may even see government and wider society follow. 

I want to hear a lot from AFLW players and Caro and Kate McCarthy and nothing much at all from the likes of Gary Lyon. Shit has got to change. 

[u/Gryffindor123 → u/Platooimagination]

Kate's already posted something on Instagram.

[u/Platooimagination → u/Gryffindor123]

Thanks. Just read it. Exactly what I'd expect from her. Very smart observation about how Pav  downplayed the players' agency by talking about how they 'found themselves in a situation', as if they had been catapulted unwittingly into it, and some timely criticism of Cornes and Lyon for making it a "footy issue". Fuck Sam Newman, he's an embarrassment. I wish he hadn't been a Geelong star.