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Isaac Heeney claimed Sydney's club champion award in absentia after the Pullman Hotel scandal forced changes, with the club renaming the honour as most valuable player.
Isaac Heeney has won his third consecutive Bob Skilton Medal as Sydney's club champion, claiming the award in absentia after the club changed its description from best and fairest to most valuable player in the wake of the Pullman Hotel saga.
Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice all did not attend Thursday night's ceremony at Sydney Town Hall after being suspended for breaching club behavioural standards. The five players were suspended until the end of the 2026 season for their involvement in a night of partying at the Pullman East Melbourne following the club's round 23 win over Essendon on August 16.
Sexual Assault Allegations Under Investigation
A separate police investigation is ongoing into allegations of sexual assault in a hotel room where all five players were present. Bice was cleared of any criminal conduct by Victorian Police last month, but the remaining four are still persons of interest. No charges have been laid and the players have denied any criminal wrongdoing. Three women hired as exotic dancers in the early hours of August 17 made allegations of sexual assault and inappropriate touching without consent.
Bice is being treated as a witness. Club chairman Andrew Pridham said ruling the players ineligible for awards would have been inappropriate and in excess of the sanction. He told the ceremony that player conduct and performance are very separate matters. These players are not here tonight, Pridham said.
I want to stress not because we did not want them to attend, nor that they did not want to be here; they were very keen to be here. Rather, they made it clear that they did not want their attendance to detract from the evening. He said the decisions to allow the players to remain eligible does not diminish our concern and respect for everyone impacted by the incident.
Likewise, the players involved, we will respect and continue to apply the presumption of innocence. Pridham was applauded and one attendee from the back of the room called out, Absolutely. He also said strong clubs do not pretend mistakes never happen and promised the adversity would make the club stronger and more united. All four players still being investigated finished inside the top 10, with Heeney winning on 431 votes from Brodie Grundy on 400 and Charlie Curnow on 398.
Heeney Wins Third Consecutive Bob Skilton
Warner, Blakey and Jordon also finished in the top 10. Heeney claimed his third consecutive Bob Skilton Medal, something only Gerard Healy had previously achieved from 1986 to 1988. Callum Mills accepted on his behalf along with a video message from Heeney where he apologised and expressed his love for his family and the club. The club chose not to run a live stream, as they have done in the past and as most clubs usually still do.
Fans commenting on the club's social media accounts appeared frustrated by the inability to watch the event. Before the count, the Swans had changed the description of the Bob Skilton Medal from being awarded to the club's best and fairest player to the club's most valuable player. A news update on the Swans website in June referred to the best and fairest player, while a Tuesday item described the most valuable player.
Nine reported the changes were not caused by the Pullman incident, and what would have been the awkward scenario of the club proclaiming Heeney as its fairest player. Pridham said given the medal is awarded by coaches giving votes after each match we thought it better categorised as most valuable player.
Votes are distributed by the team's coaching staff based on player performance after every game, with each player eligible to receive up to five votes from a single member of staff. Grundy won the player's player award, Logan McDonald received the player of the finals award, Jai Serong won most improved, and Will Edwards, who broke his leg late in the season, was also recognised.
Suspended Players Eligible for Brownlow Medal
The five players involved in the Pullman scandal were also eligible to win the Brownlow Medal, awarded to the AFL's best and fairest player, but the league banned them from attending the count in grand final week. Heeney finished with the most Brownlow votes of any Sydney Swan with 26, putting him in equal eighth place. Mills tore his ACL during the Swans' remarkable qualifying final win against the eventual premiers, the Brisbane Lions.
He had acknowledged the pain of the Swans' AFLW players in the days following the suspensions and apologised for the actions of the five teammates.
FOXSportsAUS 
theage:Heeney wins Swans’ best and fairest, club boss says players deserve ‘the presumption of innocence’This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Isaac Heeney Sydney Swans Bob Skilton Medal Pullman Hotel Scandal AFL Investigation
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