A Familiar Conversation: The Sydney Swans and AFL Culture

CW: Mention of Sexual Assault

The events involving five Sydney Swans players sparked shock throughout the football world. But as the initial reaction unfolded, questions emerged about where much of the conversation turned its attention.

Five players have been stood down for the remainder of the season following breaches of club standards, while Victoria Police are separately investigating an alleged sexual assault.[1] No players have been charged.[2]

The significance of the incident extends beyond what happened at the Pullman Hotel. It has again placed the culture and governance surrounding the men's game under scrutiny: the expectations of players and how they are held accountable, the treatment of women, and what happens when the interests of the sport collide with questions of behaviour and responsibility.

The immediate response from football commentary was largely centred on what the situation means for Sydney's finals campaign. Kane Cornes’ primary concern was whether he would “ever forgive” his teammates if their actions cost the Swans a premiership.[3]

While later commentary acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations, the initial response was revealing of how instinctively football can place the interests of the game at the centre of almost every conversation, perhaps uncovering that the shock that surrounded the situation was more connected to the timing of the behaviour as opposed to the behaviour itself. 

A Recurring Pattern

The cultural questions being asked of the AFL have a long history. For decades, the league has confronted incidents involving sexual misconduct, violence, drugs and other serious allegations against players.[4]

 Michael Warner's 2021 book The Boys' Club: Power, Politics and the AFL documented allegations concerning the treatment of women working within the game, including claims of sexual harassment and bullying.[5] Additionally, in 2022, an AFL-commissioned University of Sydney study into female and non-binary umpires revealed accounts of sexual harassment, misogyny, inappropriate touching and racial abuse across different levels of football. The AFL subsequently apologised and committed to improving this environment. [6]

End-of-season events have also repeatedly brought questions about player behaviour and the culture surrounding the game to the surface, with clubs sanctioning players for conduct that has fallen outside expected standards.[7] Now, in the week following the Sydney incident, video has emerged of Richmond players appearing to mock the alleged assault.[8]

When similar concerns surface across different clubs, contexts and generations, it becomes difficult to view each incident entirely in isolation; they return attention to familiar questions about the culture surrounding the men's game and the standards that exist within it.

Privilege and Footballers

AFL players occupy a unique position within Australian sport. They are employees, but also assets. Their performances contribute to memberships, sponsorships and broadcasting revenue. Their value extends beyond their ability to kick a Sherrin to the emotional connection they create with fans. That influence should not disappear when their conduct falls short. Swans CEO Matthew Pavlich’s description of the players as having “found themselves” in such a situation can shift attention away from their agency and the accountability that comes with being afforded such a prominent position.[9] As former AFLW player Kate McCarthy considered, the game cannot celebrate players as role models when they do positive things and then regard them as “just footballers” when questions about their behaviour arise.[10]

That same tension is evident in the AFL's current rules. Players sanctioned for breaches of club standards can remain eligible for the Brownlow Medal.[11] Perhaps the league should consider the message sent when conduct that falls below the standards expected of players does not affect their eligibility for the game’s most prestigious individual award.

The AFL’s Response & Moving Forward

The AFL has not simply ignored issues when they arise. The league has mechanisms in place that suspend players for conduct and has introduced policies addressing respect, responsibility, inclusion and player behaviour.[12] However, the pattern feels familiar: an incident occurs, public attention follows, the league responds, policies are reviewed and commitments are made. The attention then moves elsewhere until another incident brings similar questions back into focus. That does not make every response tokenistic, but it does raise the question of whether the next controversy predominantly drives change, and whether this reactive approach can produce lasting cultural change.

The NRL's no-fault stand-down policy offers an example worth considering. It allows players charged with certain serious offences to be stood down while criminal proceedings continue, without the sporting organisation determining guilt.[13]  Such policies demonstrate that sporting bodies can make decisions about participation while maintaining a distinction between sporting consequences and criminal responsibility.

Nevertheless, culture is not only reflected in official policies; it involves how players at all levels are educated, what behaviour is challenged within clubs, how women are represented and whether policies continue to evolve before another controversy forces them to. It is shaped by the attitudes and assumptions that become accepted within the game and the voices that shape difficult conversations.

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon has denied the league has a cultural problem but has acknowledged that “we can do things better”. [14] After years of confronting similar issues, perhaps the strongest test of that commitment is whether the same cultural questions continue to resurface.

References

[1] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-19/afl-sydney-swans-ban-five-players-amid-police-investigation/107053398

[2] Ibid

[3] https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/police-swarm-hotel-as-sydney-swans-players-involved-in-alleged-incident/news-story/999311b2c5de7e8623ccba11b2b415e8

[4] https://theshot.net.au/news/opinion-news/what-will-it-take-for-the-mens-afl-to-admit-it-has-a-culture-problem/

[5] https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/news-centre/stories/2023/opinion-the-afl-needs-real-cultural-change-can-the-new-chief-deliver-it

[6] Ibid

[7] https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/greater-western-sydney-giants/afl-2024-six-gws-giants-players-suspended-seven-fined-over-wacky-wednesday-party-scandal-which-players-what-did-they-do-latest-news/news-story/e32a1d9bd75ad8c1bc75f55801ca52ec

[8] https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/richmond-tigers/afl-2026-richmond-investigating-mad-monday-party-footage-players-whipping-each-other-at-garfield-pub-sydney-swans-sexual-assault-allegations-video-latest-news/news-story/2ce9b941c786abde29578d972caa1dda

[9] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-18/sydney-swans-melbourne-police-investigation-coach-disappointed/107048672

[10] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-18/sydney-swans-media-coverage-kate-mccarthy-kane-cornes/107049792

[11] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-24/afl-sydney-swans-scandal-andrew-dillon/107070342

[12] https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/document/2021/06/16/2dfa4043-5afd-4bd1-ad35-9703f39901de/AFL-Respect-and-Responsibility-Policy.pdf

[13] https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/08/22/no-faultstanddown-rule/

[14] https://www.afl.com.au/news/1594851/watch-live-afl-ceo-andrew-dillon-speaks-about-sydney-swans-scandal-geelong-concussion-saga-and-more-at-launch-of-2026-finals-series