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Sydney Swans vice-captain Sam Heeney accepted his third Bob Skilton medal via pre-recorded video, apologising for the extreme difficulty faced by teammates and staff due to his suspension, while expressing determination to return to the field after breaching club standards.
Receiving the club’s best and fairest award on Thursday, the player apologised for ‘extreme difficulty’ and says absence was ‘heartbreaking’In a two-minute pre-recorded video to mark the 30-year-old’s third Bob Skilton medal, Heeney voiced his determination to resurrect his playing career after serving aSwans vice-captain Heeney had requested to skip the club’s Thursday night function at Sydney Town Hall alongside teammates Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice.from August to the end of the Swans’ finals campaign for breaching club standards following a post- AFL match party at the Pullman Hotel in East Melbourne.
Those suspensions are separate from an ongoing police investigation into an alleged sexual assault at the hotel. Detectives in early September travelled to NSW to interview a 30-year-old Maroubra man, a 25-year-old Paddington man and two Randwick men aged 25 and 26. No charges have been laid. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on the part of the suspended players.
In the pre-recorded video, Heeney offered an apology to teammates and colleagues at the club.
“When I was told about this honour, it was the first time I’ve smiled and felt positive about the future for a long time,” Heeney said. “While I was unable to attend the awards, I look forward to seeing you all again in person very soon.
“I want to say to everyone, in particular my teammates, the Swans players of the AFLW and the staff, from the depths of my heart, I’m truly sorry for putting you through the extreme difficulty you’ve had to endure. “Every single day I was away from the club was heartbreaking … I want my actions moving forward to show how much this place and its people mean to me. “I’m incredibly excited about what this group can do.
I can’t wait to get back and train with the boys, get better and attack next year together. ” The 30-year-old received ample applause and a partial standing ovation from the room of nearly 500 people. Callum Mills accepted the honour on Heeney’s behalf at the awards night, describing it as “unprecedented times”.
In a 15-minute opening speech, Swans chairman Andrew Pridham said the group “strenuously denied” the sexual assault allegations and highlighted the five players’ right to the presumption of innocence.
“And all of us in this room have made mistakes at times in our lives,” Pridham said. “As we said at the time, this decision reflected only on their breach of club standards and behaviour. “At no time have we made any judgement on the allegations made to the police. This is a separate matter.
“And as we know, the players have strenuously denied the allegations … Likewise, the players involved will respect and continue to apply the basic right of presumption of innocence. ”
Sam Heeney Sydney Swans Bob Skilton Medal AFL Club Standards
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