On Friday afternoon, Victoria Police announced that four Sydney Swans players would face no criminal charges over an alleged sexual assault at the Pullman Hotel.
A police spokesman said there was insufficient evidence, adding that they were unable to comment further due to ongoing civil proceedings.
While the women continue to press ahead with lawsuits via personal injury lawyers, the latest development nonetheless marks the end of one of the biggest scandals to ever strike the AFL, with the police having effectively cleared the players of the sexual assault claims made against them.
For three months, DailyMail+ has been breaking major developments in this story. Now, we bring you the definitive account of what our sources say happened.
August 16 2026 – Swans beat Essendon
Sydney’s win over Essendon at the MCG preceded the players’ late-night gathering at the Pullman East Melbourne, where the team was staying.
For three months, DailyMail+ has been breaking every single major development in the Sydney Swans story. Now, we bring you the definitive account of what our well-placed sources say happened. (Pictured: Isaac Heeney and his former fiancée Steffie Waters)
Sydney’s win over Essendon at the MCG preceded the players’ late-night gathering at the Pullman East Melbourne (pictured), where the team was staying
Police will not lay charges against Sydney Swans players Chad Warner, Isaac Heeney, James Jordon and former teammate Nick Blakey as part of their investigation into an alleged incident
Due to Sydney Airport curfews, the players couldn’t fly home, meaning they had to spend the night in Melbourne.
The evening started tamely enough. The triumphant team headed to dinner in Richmond, with players and staff celebrating together before ending up at the Harlow pub on Church Street.
The coaches remained at the venue until about midnight before (wisely) taking an early dart. Afterwards, a group of about 11 players allegedly continued the night at Maeve Fox, where they were seen doing shots.
A smaller group decided to keep the party going at the hotel.
Early hours of August 17
A source with knowledge of the events said one of the players booked two adult entertainers through the Party Girls Melbourne agency, providing identification and a deposit.
Three women arrived because one of the booked performers brought along a friend who was apparently interested in joining the industry.
The entertainment started pleasantly, claimed the source.
The evening started tamely enough. The triumphant team headed to dinner in Richmond, with players and staff celebrating together before ending up at the Harlow pub on Church Street
The booking was described as ‘straightforward’ until one of the strippers began feeling unwell. (Stock image posed by model)
The insider said the men told the women they were carpenters.
Believing they were tradesmen and not wealthy footballers, the women allegedly agreed to charge $200 each for lap-dance performances, rather than the $250-$300 they would reportedly usually charge on top of the agency fee.
‘They said they were carpenters and working in the area,’ said the spy.
Because of their trade, ‘the girls agreed to charge $200 per girl for a lap dance [performance] across all the guys,’ they added.
‘The girls performed to one song each and moved between the guys.
‘Because it was late and they didn’t think [the men] earned much, they did them a deal and they just wanted to get the job done and leave.’
The men paid on the spot and some physical contact was allowed while the dance was taking place, it is claimed.
According to the source, some of the men were ‘wasted’, swaying and unsteady on their feet, as the girls shimmied through their routines.
At one stage, a woman said that if the players wanted to touch the dancers, they would have to pay more. ‘One guy agreed to pay an extra $50 to slap her a**e three times,’ said the source.
‘Another player was barefoot and seemed to want to touch them with his feet.’ The Mail does not suggest this was improper or non-consensual.
A Daily Mail investigation has uncovered claims about what the three women were paid to do in the hotel room, along with the agreed fee for a lap dance performance involving multiple men. (Above: a general view of a hotel room at the Pullman East Melbourne)
It was only after one of the women went into the hallway while partially dressed that the situation escalated and the players started to panic, claims the source. (Above: a general view of a hallway at the Pullman East Melbourne)
The booking was described as ‘straightforward’ until one of the women began feeling unwell. There is no suggestion any of the men caused her to feel unwell.
Feeling faint, she sought air in the eighth-floor corridor while partially dressed, which alarmed the players because they didn’t want other guests at the hotel knowing they were hosting a late-night party with strippers.
As for what caused the woman’s medical episode, her father believed she had suffered an asthma attack. However, a source with knowledge of the events told the Mail that it was caused by something else entirely.
‘She felt sick during the party and she actually thinks it was carbon dioxide poisoning because there were so many people crammed into one room and there wasn’t enough fresh air,’ claimed the insider.
While it is theoretically possible to suffer ill effects from elevated carbon dioxide levels in a crowded, poorly ventilated room, serious cases are considered rare and are more commonly associated with confined spaces where fresh air is limited.
Regardless of what caused her distress, the situation escalated when the woman rushed to the door, flung it open and leaned topless into the corridor in search of fresh air. The mood inside the room changed instantly, claimed the source.
‘All five players were high profile and some were in relationships,’ they said.
Heeney is seen with ex-fiancée Steffie Waters arriving at the AFL Awards in August last year
‘They really didn’t want to be seen drinking in hotel rooms with strippers during footy season because they had a lot to lose.’
According to the insider, an argument broke out after the men asked the dancer to step back inside and put some clothes on. She then wrapped herself in a hotel dressing gown and left the room, but ended up sitting on the floor by the lifts.
It was at this point that another Swans player, who the source indicated may not have been one of the five players named in connection with the hotel incident, was walking down the hallway and saw the woman in distress.
‘He found her and asked if she was OK,’ said the source.
‘He was pretty shocked when she told him she had been booked by some guys at a party, and he helped her up and walked her back to the room where the others were.’
The morning of August 17
The booking having concluded, the three women then made their way downstairs, where the situation began to attract even more attention after the medical episode.
In the lobby, the woman who had dashed into the hallway said that she felt dizzy and could not breathe. She tried using an asthma pump, although it is not known if it was hers or one supplied by another person.
Her presence soon became noticeable as she waved her arms around and walked in and out of the hotel in search of fresh air, the source alleged.
Meanwhile, her friend went back upstairs to collect their belongings left behind at the party.
As more Swans players and staff began gathering in the lobby, the woman’s friend returned from the eighth floor and it was only then that she realised why the ‘Pullman Five’ had been so desperate to keep the situation private: they were AFL players.
It was at this point that the women confronted one of the club bosses. Previous reports indicate that the representative they spoke to was coach Dean Cox, who is not accused of any wrongdoing.
In a remarkable turn of events, a woman at the hotel who was unaware of the drama unfolding around her allegedly approached star player Heeney, whose hood was pulled up, and politely asked him to pose for a photo with her child.
The women confronted one of the club bosses in the lobby. Previous reports indicate that the representative they spoke to was coach Dean Cox, who is not accused of any wrongdoing
This viral WhatsApp message purports to show the fraught scene in the Pullman East hotel foyer on the morning of Monday, August 17
Heeney obliged, claimed the source, but asked her not to use the camera flash.
Unbeknownst to the mother, the photo also captured one of the women in the background during the heated exchange with a club official.
As the bizarre scene continued to unravel, more guests began to take notice of what was going on. At least one person present in the lobby took a photo, which was later widely circulated on WhatsApp.
‘I’m at the Pullman in Melbourne and three girls [are] getting kicked out… And one of them said to the guy, “We have everything recorded”,’ read the viral message.
The women made calls to their agent as well as police and, according to the source, were eventually asked to leave the hotel.
The dramatic scenes at the hotel were followed by serious allegations the next day.
Two women made police complaints alleging sexual assault. Later in the week, the third woman also made a police report with similar claims.
After the incident
Those complaints were investigated by police over the course of three months and will not result in any charges due to insufficient evidence based on legal advice.
Heeney was the first player to break his silence and welcomed the police update.
‘The past three months have been incredibly difficult for my family, Steffie and those close to me. Watching my family carry the weight of this has been heartbreaking,’ he said in a statement issued via his lawyers.
‘To my family and friends, your love and loyalty has meant more than words can do justice.
‘To those that have never doubted me and stood by my side in solidarity – thank you. I know it has not been easy in the face of such intense public scrutiny. I will never forget your support.
Heeney (seen in Maroubra on October 8) was the first player to break his silence and welcomed the police update after the players were cleared
Nicola Kegel, a friend of Heeney’s, sent him this supportive text back in September, when the police investigation was still ongoing. She then published his reply on X
The Mail independently established that Kegel was indeed a former neighbour of Heeney’s in Maroubra and was registered as living in the same unit complex where he currently resides
‘To the entire Sydney Swans Club – my teammates, coaches, the board, our sponsors, and our loyal members and fans – thank you for keeping faith in me.
‘The Swans have given me an opportunity to live out a childhood dream and I am fully focused on repaying that faith by being the best person and player I can be.’
Heeney, along with teammates Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice, had been stood down by the club for the rest of the 2026 season for attending the party. The sanctions were separate from the police investigation.
Bice was later cleared by police and was only treated as a witness. Heeney and the others were eventually cleared on Friday morning.
Prior to issuing a formal statement through his lawyers, a former neighbour sent Heeney a supportive WhatsApp message about the scandal back in September – then posted his reply on X.
Heeney wrote: ‘I’m not going to say much but this is completely f***ed up! Sorry for the language. Appreciate the message.’
The Swans did not dispute the message’s authenticity, but cautioned that his reaction was to a long text covering several topics, not necessarily to the women’s allegations specifically.
The debunked WhatsApps
Much of the speculation surrounding what happened at the Pullman hotel was fuelled by unverified claims circulating among private WhatsApp groups.
Many of the allegations were demonstrably false and swiftly disproven.
One message claimed the players were ‘all in custody’, which was false because they were not arrested and spoke voluntarily with police before driving home to Sydney.
A graphic photo also circulated of a woman with a facial injury, which a WhatsApp user falsely claimed was related to the hotel incident. However, the Mail soon established that image was sourced from an unrelated news story months earlier.
Unverified WhatsApp messages made a string of extraordinary claims about the events that allegedly took place after the Swans’ victory on August 16
A graphic photo circulating on WhatsApp was debunked as a fake
Rumours also claimed the dancers had set up cameras to film the lap dances. No footage has been publicly verified, and the claim does not appear to be true
In short, it was nothing but a hoax.
Screenshots of the texts also made wild and entirely bogus claims of a woman taunting a player with insects, only for an argument to erupt, causing damage to the hotel, while another player allegedly took bets on the ensuing chaos.
None of that was true, despite the WhatsApps being shared thousands of times in the week following the scandal making headlines.
Rumours also claimed the dancers had set up cameras to film the lap dances. No footage has been publicly verified, and the claim does not appear to be true.
The secret recordings
In the days after the Pullman hotel party, a private conversation in which the three dancers discussed what had happened was allegedly recorded without their knowledge.
The Daily Mail later named Oliver Swan, who was living with one of the women, as the man suspected of making the recording. Swan professed confusion when approached about it and declined to comment.
Under Victorian law, a person can legally record a private conversation without the knowledge or consent of others, provided they are a participant in the discussion. It is not suggested that Swan acted illegally or improperly in any way.
He is suspected of alerting the Sydney Swans to the audio’s existence, not of handing the club a copy.
Colourful Melbourne businessman Oliver Swan was living with one of three women hired to perform lap dances at a private party at Melbourne’s Pullman Hotel. He is suspected to have made a secret recording before alerting the Swans to its existence
The club subsequently contacted the AFL Integrity Unit, which passed the information to Victoria Police.
Detectives seized a recording during a search of a Melbourne property in early September.
The audio was supposedly touted to the players as potential evidence that could clear their names, but the Daily Mail reported that it was hardly a ‘smoking gun’.
The contents of the recording have not been released, and a friend of the women said they were unable to recall precisely what they had discussed or what the recording captured.
‘The days after are a bit of a blur as to what they said to who. They made police statements, they had meetings with their [civil] lawyers, talked to several friends and even media,’ the friend said.
‘So they are not completely certain what was even said.
‘But this flatmate (allegedly) recorded them – in secret – and later contacted the Swans about it.’
What next?
The three women subsequently engaged personal injury lawyers Carbone Lawyers and Slater and Gordon.
Their civil claims, separate to the criminal investigation, are still being pursued. It is not suggested that any of the players who are the subject of the claims are guilty of the claims being made against them, only that the claims have been made by the women.
A Slater and Gordon spokesman said its client was ‘devastated’ by the outcome of the criminal investigation.
The scandal also cost Heeney his engagement.
Heeney’s fiancée Steffie Waters was seen looking stressed while speaking on the phone in Noosa on August 21. She was later pictured in happier spirits during a trip to the beach
Influencer Steffie Waters called off their wedding plans after weeks in which, friends told the Daily Mail, he tried to save their relationship.
Those close to Waters said it was his decision to party with strippers that she could not forgive. She regarded it as a betrayal of trust – a personal judgment separate from the allegations investigated by police.
A source close to Heeney said on Friday that they had not reconciled but remained on amicable terms.
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