Sydney Swans defender Riley Bice will remain suspended by the club despite being cleared of any involvement in an alleged sexual assault of strippers under investigation by Victoria Police.
Bice is now being treated as a witness following formal police interviews over an alleged incident at the Pullman East Melbourne last month.
However, Sydney coach Dean Cox confirmed on Thursday that the 25-year-old would remain stood down, alongside Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, James Jordon and Nick Blakey.
The five players deny criminal wrongdoing and no charges have been laid.
Sydney suspended all five for the remainder of the AFL season after conducting a separate investigation into breaches of the club’s behavioural standards.
The club found the players had been drinking, stayed out late and invited women back to the team hotel while preparing to face Essendon in round 23.
Dean Cox confirmed all five players will remain stood down as Sydney separates police inquiries from behavioural sanctions
Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, James Jordon, Nick Blakey and Riley Bice were suspended for the remainder of season
The five players deny criminal wrongdoing and no charges have been laid over the alleged Melbourne hotel incident
Those sanctions were imposed independently of the police investigation, meaning Bice’s reported status as only a witness to the police investigation does not affect the club’s decision.
Cox reiterated that distinction while speaking to reporters ahead of Saturday’s qualifying final against Brisbane at the SCG.
‘Vic Police and the football club came out with a statement, and I won’t comment too much further on those statements,’ Cox said.
‘All five will remain stood down from the football club, the police investigation and the behavioural nature will be separated, and that will remain.’
While the five players cannot return to the field this season, Sydney has not settled on when they may be allowed to resume training or other duties at the club.
Cox said discussions about reintegrating the players were continuing and could change daily.
‘[Reintegration] talks change daily,’ he said.
‘I think one thing that we’re unsure about is the nature of what reintegration looks like and getting the best balance between what the players and footy clubs need.’
Dean Cox apologised to supporters during the crisis and promised the club would work to regain their trust
Cox has remained in contact with all five players during their absence but said those conversations were limited to their welfare.
‘My first part of the conversation has only been how they’re going,’ he said.
‘I haven’t touched anything on the investigation; we need to get all the facts before we make any assumption of what it looks like.’
Cox also declined to reveal whether the Swans had conducted their own drug testing amid claims illicit substances were present at the hotel.
‘We adhere to the illicit drug policy, and that’s one thing the footy club always do,’ he said.
‘I’m not privy to that information, but that’s something we’ll continue to do.’
Swans chairman Andrew Pridham previously acknowledged that suspending five senior players could ‘torpedo’ the club’s premiership campaign.
‘They shouldn’t have been in that situation of being out that late, and the only way we can deal with it is to put our foot down incredibly hard, which we’ve done,’ Pridham said.
The controversy prompted a small group of supporters to walk out of the SCG following Sydney’s AFLW match against Essendon last month.
Cox later apologised to fans and promised the club would work to regain their trust.
‘For mine, I said yesterday, I’m sorry for putting everyone through this, and we’ll do everything we can to get their trust back,’ he said.
