00:02About three months on from the scandal at the Pullman Hotel in Melbourne, Victorian
00:07police have now confirmed they won't be proceeding with criminal charges against the Sydney
00:12Swan players that had been at the centre of an ongoing investigation, which we understand
00:16related to a number of adult entertainers that had been invited back to that hotel following
00:21a game that the Swans had played against Essendon, and it's understood that that investigation
00:26centred around allegations that one of the players touched one of the women without
00:30consent, though Victorian police have now confirmed there was insignificant, insufficient evidence
00:35to proceed with criminal charges, and given the ongoing potential for civil action, Victorian
00:43police will not be commenting any further.
00:46Though we have received comment from Sydney Swans today, of course Sydney Swans stood down
00:51five of these players following the incident, though Riley Bice, one of the players that
00:57was stood down, was very quickly cleared of the investigation.
01:00They had been stood down separately.
01:04The Swans say this was separate from any criminal investigation.
01:07They argued because they'd been out late drinking and invited women back to the team hotel, they'd
01:12been in breach of the club's code.
01:15And so the Swans today, Matthew Pavlich, the CEO, has said it's still unclear whether, how
01:22they'll be integrated back into the club, but it's been a difficult few months.
01:25We appreciate and understand that everyone has been dealing with it in their own way, and
01:30we thank them for their support during that time.
01:32It has been really hard on a lot of people, and that resilience and that ability to stick
01:38together means that we've got some strong foundations for the future, and today's at least an opportunity
01:43to think about that future and start stepping forward.
01:46Now, we've also received a statement from Isaac Heaney, who says it's been an incredibly
01:51difficult three months for him and his family.
01:54He welcomed to the police announcement that there will not be criminal charges, saying that
01:59those that have never doubted him and stood by his side, he thanks them.
02:03He's also paid tribute to the entire Sydney Swans club.
02:06His teammates coach, the board and sponsors for keeping faith with him.
02:10Though this could still have some way to play out, even though there won't be any criminal
02:15charges laid, some of the women involved have separately engaged lawyers.
02:20We've heard from two different lawyers today saying that they plan to proceed with civil charges.
02:28And one of those lawyers, Carbone Lawyers, who's acting for two of the women in a civil claim
02:33against the club, said his clients were very disappointed and distressed over the outcome
02:38of this police investigation, and that the client's civil claim is based on a different
02:43burden of proof, based on the balance of probabilities.
02:47So we expect while this criminal case has certainly wrapped up now, on the civil front, this could
02:53have some way to play out.
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