Sydney have launched an independent investigation into the embattled club’s culture following another serious off-field scandal this week involving star forward Tom Papley.
It was revealed on Wednesday that Papley, one of the most high-profile and experienced players at the Swans, returned a positive preliminary roadside test for methylamphetamine during a police stop on Monday.
He will front court later this month.
Sydney chief executive and Fremantle great Matthew Pavlich fronted the media on Thursday, making yet another apology to those invested in the club, saying “we’ve let them down again”.
“We’re bitterly disappointed that we’re here talking about this today,” Pavlich told reporters in Sydney.
“We’re really disappointed in Tom himself. We voiced that pretty directly to him yesterday.
“We apologise unreservedly to our members, fans and corporate partners. We’ve let them down again. We must be better.
“It’s a really disappointing time for the footy club, but given this is a police matter, we cannot make any further comment.”
Papley was pulled over in New South Wales on November 2 for driving with a suspended licence due to an outstanding parking fine.
During the stop, a random drug test returned a positive finding for methylamphetamine, with a second sample taken away for analysis. The results of that test are still outstanding.
Papley was issued a 24-hour driving prohibition and will appear before Waverly Local Court on November 26.
The 30-year-old informed the club himself of the incident, but in the wake of the ‘Pullman Five’ scandal that rocked the AFL, Pavlich admitted it was disappointing to once again be fronting the media for an off-field incident involving a Swans player.
Pavlich confirmed Sydney would wait for a second sample to come through before making a decision on whether Papley would be penalised by the club.
“Given this is a police matter, we cannot make any further comment until such time as the secondary sample comes through and that test is solidified,” he said.
“We’ll work through that process over the next period, and we’ll update everyone after that.”
Papley’s looming court appearance comes after the Swans suspended five players for breaching club behavioural standards last August.
Vice-captain Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice were stood down for the remainder of the AFL season and missed the finals.
“We’re looking at that right now,” Pavlich said, when asked if the Swans had a culture problem.
“We’ve been identifying that over the last eight weeks.
“We’ve started some deep work on that with our AFL men’s department, independent advisers helping us through that.
“These are the questions we are asking ourselves right now and asking our players.”
Pavlich added “we need to be better”.
“This is not something that anyone is stopping short of, knowing that we’ve got a long way to go,” he said.
“We’ve got some deep work to do to understand how we can get better.”
Heeney made a surprise and rare public appearance in Hong Kong this week, posing with Australian jockey Zac Purton and others following a race at Happy Valley racecourse.
The 30-year-old has largely kept a low profile, opting not to attend the club’s best and fairest awards night in October.
Victoria Police are yet to provide an update on the investigation into sexual assault allegations at East Melbourne’s Pullman Hotel following a round 23 AFL game.
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.
It is understood the men interviewed were Heeney, Warner, Jordon and Blakey.
No charges have been laid. The West Australian is not suggesting any wrongdoing on the part of the suspended players.
Bice is no longer a person of interest for police, while Blakey departed the Swans during last month’s trade period to join North Melbourne.
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