Dee Salmin has been pictured running errands in Melbourne after announcing that she will boycott next month’s 2026 Brownlow Medal count over concerns about the AFL’s handling of women and gender-based violence.
Salmin, a writer and podcast host, said in her newsletter that she no longer felt comfortable attending the Australian Football League’s flagship awards ceremony, despite previously enjoying the event. She is the partner of Collingwood captain Darcy Moore.
“I just don’t feel comfortable being at an event that doesn’t align with mine,” Salmin wrote, explaining that she had been reflecting on the culture surrounding the AFL and her own participation in it. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/aug/31/dee-salmin-darcy-moore-girlfriend-boycott-brownlows-sydney-swans-scandal-ntwnfb))
Her decision follows scrutiny of the Sydney Swans after five players were suspended by the club for the remainder of the season following an incident at a Melbourne hotel. Victoria Police are separately investigating an alleged sexual assault; no arrests or charges have been announced. ([abc.net.au](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-24/afl-sydney-swans-scandal-andrew-dillon/107070342))
The five players — Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice — have been barred from attending the Brownlow ceremony by the AFL, although they remain eligible to win the medal. The league has said it will wait for the police investigation to conclude before conducting its own inquiry. ([afl.com.au](https://www.afl.com.au/news/1594851/amp/amp))
Salmin said she continued to love and respect people within the sport, including Moore, but argued that personal relationships did not place the wider football culture beyond criticism. She added that the AFL’s approach to women and gender-based violence required “some serious change”. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/aug/31/dee-salmin-darcy-moore-girlfriend-boycott-brownlows-sydney-swans-scandal-ntwnfb))
The Brownlow Medal count is due to take place in Melbourne on the Monday before the AFL grand final.
