A man suspected of making a secret recording of the Sydney Swans strippers discussing the alleged incident at the Pullman hotel has been identified as a colourful Melbourne businessman and AFL fanatic.
Oliver Swan was living with one of three women hired to perform lap dances at a private party at Melbourne’s Pullman Hotel on August 17.
Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice were at a party that evening where three adult entertainers later claimed to police they had been sexually assaulted.
Those allegations have been denied, and remain the subject of a Victoria Police investigation which the Daily Mail understands is all but finalised, with a decision set to be made public in the coming days.
In the days following the alleged incident, Mr Swan was present during a private conversation in which the women discussed, in detail, what had unfolded that evening.
During that discussion, Mr Swan is suspected to have secretly recorded the women without their knowledge or consent, before contacting the Sydney Swans to reveal the recording existed.
Colourful Melbourne businessman Oliver Swan was living with one of three women hired to perform lap dances at a private party at Melbourne’s Pullman Hotel. He is suspected to have made a secret recording before alerting the Swans to its existence
Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice were at a party that evening where three adult entertainers later claimed to police they had been sexually assaulted. Bice was later reclassified as a witness
Heeney, who recently split from his fiancée Steffie Waters, is seen in Maroubra last Thursday
Under Victorian law, a person can legally record a private conversation without the knowledge or consent of others, provided they are a participant in the discussion.
While there are restrictions on sharing or publishing such recordings, Mr Swan is not believed to have handed the audio to the Sydney Swans, but is suspected to have alerted the club to its existence.
Rumours of a secret recording began circulating within weeks of the investigation being launched, but it is understood Mr Swan’s housemate only recently suspected his involvement in the matter.
She has since severed all ties, with those close to her saying she perceived his alleged actions as the ‘ultimate betrayal’.
When the Daily Mail contacted Mr Swan to ask about his version of events, the businessman reacted to the reporter’s message with a love heart emoji and then uploaded his profile picture to a clearer image.
In a baffling twist, he then pleaded ignorance – despite his identity having already been made public by Outlaw Media – saying: ‘I still don’t understand what this has to do with me.
‘What girls? I am fully confused.’
He later declined to comment on or off the record as it is understood the matter is under investigation.
The woman has since severed all ties, with those close to her saying she perceived his actions as a ‘shocking betrayal’. (Stock image posed by model)
Rumours of a secret recording began circulating within weeks of the investigation being launched
The contents of the recording have not been publicly released, and a friend of the women said they were unable to recall precisely what they had discussed or what the recording captured.
‘The days after are a bit of a blur as to what they said to who. They made police statements, they had meetings with their [civil] lawyers, talked to several friends and even media,’ the friend said.
‘So they are not completely certain what was even said.
‘But this flatmate (allegedly) recorded them – in secret – and later contacted the Swans about it.’
The club subsequently alerted the AFL Integrity Unit, which passed the information to Victoria Police.
Detectives then executed a search warrant at a Melbourne property in early September and seized the recording as part of their investigation.
‘We don’t exactly know what his intentions were,’ the friend said.
Others familiar with Mr Swan described him as a passionate AFL supporter who has rubbed shoulders with some of the sport’s most recognisable figures, including former Collingwood premiership player Dane Swan (no relation).
Mr Swan is no stranger to public controversy, having previously made headlines during his time as a co-owner of Melbourne’s GoBoat business.
In 2023, he found himself at the centre of a heated debate after footage of a single-scull rower capsizing on the Yarra River, after attempting to avoid a GoBoat that crossed his path, went viral.
The rower was left clinging to his overturned craft, with the footage sparking debate about boating etiquette and safety on the busy waterway.
While much of the criticism was directed at the GoBoat customers, Mr Swan attracted backlash when he publicly argued the ‘rower is at fault’ for the incident.
The following year, his business was again thrust into the headlines after a group of teenagers carried out a viral prank in which they threw milk over women who had hired one of the company’s boats.
This week marks two months since the wild party at the Pullman Hotel
Police launched an investigation into the incident, while Mr Swan remarked ‘kids will be kids’.
But sources told the Daily Mail that Mr Swan had departed the company in the months that followed.
‘He still has himself listed on his LinkedIn as the owner but there were some financial concerns around the business and Olly left some time ago,’ a source said.
The source also claimed Mr Swan had experienced a series of personal and business difficulties in recent years.
Court records show he was involved in two separate rental disputes in 2026. The outcomes of those proceedings, and the precise circumstances surrounding them, have not been established.
