One of the three lap dancers who provided official statements to police over the Sydney Swans hotel scandal has spoken exclusively to Daily Mail, revealing she feared for her life after her identity was leaked online.
The young woman, whom the Mail has chosen not to name, claims she was at Melbourne’s Pullman Hotel in the early hours of Monday morning, after being hired as a topless waitress to entertain several AFL players.
Since her name was exposed online, she says she has received a barrage of threats from angry Swans fans who are convinced that the scandal has derailed their team’s chances of winning the Grand Final.
‘There is one particular person who has messaged me and commented on one of my photos and even contacted my dad,’ the dancer said.
‘My identity should not be out there. I am in a lot of danger. Some AFL fans are very angry about this and I don’t know what they may do.’
Detectives from Victoria Police’s sex crimes squad have travelled to Sydney to interview the players involved.
Swans player Isaac Heeney (above, with fiancée Steffie Waters), who voluntarily spoke with police on Monday, was identified on Wednesday as the main focus of the police investigation
One of the three lap dancers who provided official statements to police over the Sydney Swans hotel scandal has spoken exclusively to Daily Mail. (Stock photo posed by model)
A viral WhatsApp message, purporting to be from someone who was at the Pullman hotel, claimed that a woman in the lobby was overheard saying ‘we have everything recorded’
Isaac Heeney, who voluntarily spoke with police on Monday before returning to Sydney, was identified on Wednesday as the main focus of the police investigation.
However, the dancer who spoke with this masthead said her concerns related to someone other than Heeney.
Heeney and teammates Chad Warner, Riley Bice, Nick Blakey and James Jordon have been stood down for the remainder of the 2026 AFL season after the club found the players had breached its standards by staying out late, drinking and bringing women back to the Pullman East Melbourne hotel early Monday morning.
‘We are deeply sorry to everyone involved. We know that our behaviour has fallen well short of the standards expected of us and the values of our club,’ a statement issued on behalf of the suspended five read.
‘We know we have let down our partners and families, members, supporters, teammates, the AFLW team, corporate partners and everyone at the club and the wider community.
‘We accept the club sanction and apologise for the impact this has had on those involved.
‘Our focus will now be on rebuilding trust with the club and the community.’
The suspensions are separate from the police investigation into an alleged sexual assault at the hotel. No charges have been laid and all players have denied wrongdoing.
Heeney, along with teammates Chad Warner, Riley Bice, Nick Blakey and James Jordon, has been stood down for the remainder of the 2026 AFL season
The team found the players had breached standards by staying out late, drinking and bringing women back to the Pullman East Melbourne hotel, near the MCG, early on Monday morning
The dancer who spoke to the Mail had previously spoken out after explicit content she created for an adult website was shared without her consent by someone unrelated to the Swans.
She discussed the ordeal on a podcast in the hope of raising awareness, but says that experience is now being used against her following the alleged hotel incident.
‘One message [I received] said I am just looking for an easy payday,’ she said.
‘[They] added that I had a history of this because of what had happened to me before.’
The woman, who speaks with a British accent, also revealed she had only recently moved to Melbourne in the hope of making some extra money as a topless waitress.
She said that attempts to discredit her character had been upsetting, particularly because her family was also being ‘harassed’.
However, she remains committed to assisting police with their investigation.
‘My dad was really shaken but we have really talked a lot about it now and he understands and I have his full support,’ she said.
‘I know what [allegedly] happened in that room. I was sober and I drove myself there. I have provided my statement with a lawyer and am just trying to do what is right for the safety of myself and to protect other girls,’ she said.
‘I have also reported those messages [from AFL fans] along with screenshots of their names and profiles to the police.’
Her father, speaking to the Herald Sun, alleged she had felt ‘pressured’ by the Swans group.
‘She was pretty distressed, pretty upset by it all,’ he said.
‘She was very offended by their behaviour and what they put on her. She was just doing her job … and not what they wanted.’
Under Australia’s strict new anti-doxxing laws, distributing personal information via social media or mobile phone is a serious federal crime that can carry a six-year jail sentence.
Similarly, under Australia’s broader online harassment frameworks, using the internet, social media or digital communications to target individuals with abusive messages, stalking or threats constitutes a federal offence and can carry a five-year sentence.
