Updated August 19, 2026 \u2014 7:17pm,first published 2:25pm<\/p>\n
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A raft of the Swans\u2019 biggest sponsors have declared they have no tolerance for wrongdoing after Telstra stood down brand ambassadors Isaac Heeney and Chad Warner following breaches of club behaviour standards on Sunday night.<\/p>\n
Events of that night are also the subject of an investigation into an allegation of sexual assault by one woman.<\/p>\n
If the accusations are proven and sponsors flee, marketing experts have warned that Heeney alone could face a $600,000 income hit from losing his personal backers, along with those that have put the Swans on notice.<\/p>\n
Insurance giant QBE, property listings company realestate.com.au, Origin Energy and Hong Kong sauce giant Lee Kum Kee are among the brands that have expressed concern, while other sponsors such as Nike and McDonald\u2019s have either declined to comment or not responded.<\/p>\n
When Telstra stood down Heeney and Warner from the telecommunication giant\u2019s brand ambassador program on Monday, it also expressed its deep concern at the police investigation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will review their ambassador arrangements once the investigation is complete and will provide an update at that time,\u201d Telstra\u2019s spokeswoman said.<\/p>\n
Victoria Police are investigating a woman\u2019s allegation that she was sexually assaulted in the early hours of Monday morning at the Pullman Hotel. Sources said she had alleged she was touched beyond what had been previously agreed.<\/p>\n
Heeney is said to be a focus of the investigation. None of the players involved has been formally interviewed by police, and there is no suggestion that the allegations are correct, only that they were made by the woman.<\/p>\n
Telstra had recently featured Heeney in campaigns based around community initiatives including grassroots football and programs for mental health.<\/p>\n
Five Swans players \u2013 Heeney, Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice and James Jordon \u2013 were suspended by the club for the remainder of the season on Wednesday morning for breaching club behaviour standards.<\/p>\n
The players issued a joint statement on Wednesday apologising for their behaviour, which they said had let down their families, supporters, colleagues in the AFLW and wider community.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe accept the club sanction and apologise for the impact this has had on those involved,\u201d the players\u2019 statement reads. \u201cOur focus will now be on rebuilding trust with the club and the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
A source familiar with the players\u2019 thinking said they denied any criminal wrongdoing.<\/p>\n