Five Sydney players suspended for the remainder of the AFL season will remain eligible for the club’s best and fairest award, but have asked not to attend the ceremony.
Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice were stood down after an alleged incident at the Pullman Hotel in Melbourne following Sydney’s Round 24 win over Essendon.
The 2026 Sydney Swans awards night will be held at Sydney Town Hall on October 1. Heeney is expected to be the leading contender for a third Bob Skilton Medal.
In a statement released on Friday, Sydney said the eligibility and voting criteria had not changed, meaning every player who represented the club during the season could win the award.
“However, we can confirm Nick Blakey, Riley Bice, Isaac Heeney, James Jordon and Chad Warner have requested not to attend the awards night, and this has been agreed to by the club,” the Swans said.
Four of the five players remain the subject of a Victoria Police investigation. Bice is being treated as a witness only.
Sydney players return for exit meetings
The five returned to the club on Wednesday evening for the first time since the alleged incident, meeting coaches, teammates and Swans staff for their exit interviews.
Warner said he was “just here for my exit meetings” and replied “I don’t know” when asked whether he was looking forward to having the opportunity to apologise to teammates.
Heeney said he was “looking forward to addressing my teammates”. After leaving the club less than an hour later, he said he had spoken to the playing group and staff.
“It was really nice to address the whole club, and I’m just really thankful they could give us their time and understanding. It was really good,” Heeney said before declining further questions.
The players had also been eligible to win the Brownlow Medal, although they were not permitted to attend that ceremony.
