Sydney Swans midfielder James Rowbottom has declined to comment on the future of his suspended teammates amid the club crisis, saying it is ‘above my pay grade’.
Five Swans players have been suspended for the rest of the season after the club found they had breached its behavioural standards following a late-night gathering at Melbourne‘s Pullman Hotel in August.
When questioned if they should return to the club, Rowbottom responded, ‘It’s a lot more complex than what I think or believe.’
‘The club is working through that with them and the relevant party. Honestly, it’s above my pay grade.’
At the same time, Rowbottom revealed he is separating ‘the person from the problem’ while offering support to his housemate Nick Blakey.
Blakey, 26, is reportedly considering requesting a trade during the October exchange period following a deterioration in his relationship with Sydney. He was one of the five players suspended after the hotel gathering.
Blakey reportedly wants to leave the Swans after his relationship with the club deteriorated
James Rowbottom has revealed how he is supporting close friend and housemate Nick Blakey
Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, James Jordon and Riley Bice were also stood down, ruling them out of Sydney’s finals campaign.
The club sanctions are separate from a Victoria Police investigation into allegations of sexual assault inside a hotel room.
Sources have claimed Blakey is reportedly angry about Sydney’s handling of the fallout, adding the player and club have become increasingly frustrated with each other.
Blakey, Heeney, Warner and Jordon were formally interviewed by detectives this week.
Bice has reportedly been cleared of criminal wrongdoing and is being treated as a possible witness. No charges have been laid against any of the players.
Rowbottom lives with Blakey but said the pair had not discussed the reported trade request or the details of the police investigation.
‘I haven’t spoken to Nick about those sort of details,’ Rowbottom told reporters on Friday.
‘It’s been a challenging period for him, and I’m just reaching out as a friend.
Rowbottom, pictured right, said he had not discussed the reported trade request or police investigation with his suspended teammate
Blakey was suspended for the remainder of Sydney’s season after breaching the club’s behavioural standards in August
‘Living with him is another layer to the situation, and so I’ve reached out as a friend, but no, we haven’t spoken about any of those sort of specifics.
‘You’ve got to sort of separate the person from the problem when you live with someone to try and offer support.
‘I’ve been trying to do that.’
Blakey remains contracted until the end of 2031 under a deal reportedly worth more than $1million per season.
Blakey also explored a possible move to Gold Coast in 2025 after his partner, Olympic sprinter Ella Connolly, planned to relocate to Queensland while preparing for the Brisbane 2032 Games.
Interest in the attacking defender is expected to be strong if Sydney agrees to consider a trade.
AFL reporter Jay Clark said in August that as many as eight Victorian clubs could pursue Blakey, naming St Kilda, North Melbourne, Melbourne, Collingwood and Carlton among his possible suitors.
‘I believe up to eight clubs will be chasing Nick Blakey, including St Kilda (who) want a half-back,’ Clark said.
‘North Melbourne, obviously, Melbourne have two first-round picks, (and) Collingwood and Carlton will do their due diligence, too.’
Blakey has a strong family connection to North Melbourne through his father John, who played 359 matches for Fitzroy and the Kangaroos between 1985 and 2002.
He could have joined North Melbourne as a father-son selection in 2018 but instead chose Sydney through its academy. John was serving as a Swans assistant coach at the time.
Blakey played 22 matches this season and averaged 25.6 disposals, establishing himself as one of the competition’s leading counterattacking defenders.
His suspension also made him ineligible for All-Australian selection.
The future of all five suspended players remains uncertain, with Sydney continuing to assess their positions beyond this season.
The suspended players will not attend the SCG when Sydney faces Brisbane in Saturday’s qualifying final.
