Kane Cornes has revealed the AFL’s back-up plan if currently sanctioned Sydney Swans player Isaac Heeney wins the Brownlow Medal.
Heeney, along with teammates Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice, were suspended for the remainder of the 2026 season for breaching club standards following a night of partying in Melbourne after their round 23 game.
The five suspended players were not invited to this year’s Brownlow Medal, but remain eligible to win the award and poll votes, the AFL confirmed last month.
Speaking on SEN, Cornes revealed that in the “unlikely” event Heeney did win the Brownlow, it would be Swans CEO Matthew Pavlich in attendance who would accept the award in Heeney’s absence and read out a speech written by the player.
Isaac Heeney. AFL Photos
It would be the first time Heeney would break his silence since the Pullman Hotel saga broke.
“There were some reports on Footy Classified that Channel Seven and the AFL didn’t want to acknowledge what happens if Isaac Heeney wins the Brownlow Medal tonight,” Cornes said.
“That’s not correct, there’s actually a plan for what happens if Isaac Heeney wins the Brownlow Medal tonight.
“I can tell you that Matthew Pavlich will accept Isaac Heeney’s medal tonight and Matthew Pavlich will read out Isaac Heeney’s speech.
“Should, and it’s very unlikely, Isaac Heeney be the Brownlow Medallist tonight – Pavlich will be in the…Palladium and he will accept the Brownlow and read a speech that is currently written by Heeney tonight.
“(It’s) highly unlikely, they’re expecting Heeney to poll low 20s and obviously Nick Daicos to poll high 40s.”