Sydney Swans midfielder Chad Warner has been seen in public again as the club continues to deal with the fallout from an alleged incident at Melbourne’s Pullman Hotel, while teammate Riley Bice is understood to have been cleared of involvement in the sexual assault investigation.
Warner, 25, was photographed near a car outside his home in Paddington on Thursday, having been seen at Malabar Beach the previous day. Earlier this week, he was also pictured walking with his girlfriend, Alice Hughes, before returning to their shared property.
The appearances come as Warner remains suspended from football alongside Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Bice. The five players were ruled out for the remainder of the 2026 season by the Swans after breaching the club’s behavioural standards following a post-match gathering at the Melbourne hotel.
The club sanction is separate from an ongoing Victoria Police investigation into allegations made by women who were at the hotel. No charges have been laid, and there has been no suggestion that any of the players has been found guilty of criminal wrongdoing.
Riley Bice no longer being investigated by police
Victoria Police detectives travelled to New South Wales this week and spoke to four men understood to be Heeney, Warner, Jordon and Blakey. Police have said they believe they have identified everyone who was in the hotel room when the alleged incident occurred.
Bice, who was suspended by the Swans for the same club standards breach as his teammates, is not being investigated by police over the sexual assault allegations, according to reports. Three other men believed to have been in the room are being treated solely as witnesses.
The police investigation remains open, with authorities not expected to provide a further update for about eight weeks. Three women have made a report to police, while lawyers representing some of those involved are considering potential civil action.
Despite Bice’s position in the police inquiry, Swans coach Dean Cox said on Thursday that none of the five players would have their club suspension shortened.
“All five will remain stood down from the football club,” Cox said, stressing that the disciplinary action and police investigation were being treated as separate matters.
The suspended players will miss Sydney’s qualifying final against Brisbane at the SCG on Saturday. Cox also indicated there were no immediate plans for the group to attend the match, while discussions about their eventual return to the club have yet to be settled.
The five players previously apologised and accepted the club’s sanction, saying their behaviour had fallen short of the standards expected by the Swans and that they would focus on rebuilding trust with the club and the wider community.
