Police from Victoria’s sexual crimes squad have since flown to New South Wales and are investigating report of sexual assault, which the ABC understands centres on a player allegedly touching one of the women without her consent.<\/p>\n
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Swans players James Jordon, Chad Warner, Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey and Riley Bice have been stood down. (Getty Images\/ABC News)<\/p>\n
Mr Albanese told 7.30 that he felt the initial response was not good enough.<\/p>\n
“It’s extraordinary that this has occurred,” Mr Albanese said.<\/p>\n
“The idea that this is occurring is completely untenable, and the initial response as well was, I think, completely unacceptable.<\/p>\n
“The NRL have a no-fault stand down clause for issues like this, but the first thoughts should have been always about women and their safety.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I don’t think that occurred at this time. The AFL certainly needs to do better.”<\/p>\n
That initial response came on Monday afternoon when Swans CEO and Fremantle Dockers great Matthew Pavlich confirmed several players had been linked to the alleged incident.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Sydney Swans CEO Matthew Pavlich has issued several statements this week. (Getty Images: Mark Metcalfe)<\/p>\n
“We\u2019re still piecing together exactly what\u2019s transpired here and have our own set of internal inquiries ongoing,” Mr Pavlich said on Monday.<\/p>\n
“But safe to say that we\u2019re extremely shocked and disappointed that this has taken place and that the players have found themselves in this situation.”<\/p>\n
On Tuesday AFL CEO Andrew Dillon described the allegations as “deeply disturbing” in a statement.<\/a><\/p>\n On Thursday night the ABC reported that detectives investigating have been told some players paid female adult entertainers to consume drugs off their bodies<\/a>.<\/p>\n Police have not made any arrests or laid charges.<\/p>\n Mr Albanese said the AFL and the Swans should “have a good look” at their culture.<\/p>\n Albanese to press Israel over Frankcom<\/p>\n While Mr Albanese was focused on several issues at home, the major geopolitical issue of the day involved Israel.<\/p>\n On Wednesday night, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) cleared its personnel of any criminal wrongdoing<\/a> over a 2024 strike on a humanitarian convoy, which killed Australian woman Zomi Frankcom.<\/p>\n Ms Frankcom was killed in a strike by the IDF. (Supplied: Facebook)<\/p>\n The decision was described as an “outrage” by Foreign Minister Penny Wong<\/a> on Thursday morning.<\/p>\n Mr Albanese told 7.30 he wanted a much more transparent response from the Israeli government.<\/p>\n “It clearly is an outrage and there’s a need for a far more transparent and clear explanation from the Israeli government other than what we’ve received,” Mr Albanese said.<\/p>\n Asked if that would involve an independent investigation, Mr Albanese said it was one option.<\/p>\n “It’s certainly not good enough that on World Humanitarian Day … they release this so-called report that essentially says, ‘Yes, we’re responsible, but nothing to see here’, he said”.<\/p>\n “Zomi represented the best of Australians out there in a dangerous area, helping her fellow global citizens as she had in other parts of the world that were suffering conflict as well. And that’s why it deserves better.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Her family deserved better, and frankly, Australia deserves better.<\/p>\n “We will press the Israeli government.\u00a0<\/p>\n “[We] will discuss with Ms Frankcom’s family. They deserve to be consulted on these issues and we’ll do that, and then we’ll make an announcement in coming days.”<\/p>\n PM concedes podcast appearance was ‘an error’<\/p>\n The Prime Minister was also asked about criticism he’s faced over several comments he made on the Deep Bush podcast.<\/p>\n Loading…<\/p>\n Mr Albanese first came under scrutiny for playing “shag, marry, date” on the podcast, which was broadcast in July.<\/p>\n He has since unequivocally apologised for saying he would “shag” Kylie Minogue.<\/p>\n Recently it was hand gestures he made on the podcast, while referring to a pair of melons given to him by Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, that caused controversy.<\/p>\n Mr Albanese has not apologised specifically for the melon interaction and maintains that the gestures have been misinterpreted.<\/p>\n Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. (Reuters: Hollie Adams)<\/p>\n However, he told 7.30 that in hindsight he should not have gone on the podcast and that he had learned from it.<\/p>\n “I learned that I need to do better every day,” Mr Albanese said.<\/p>\n “If I had my time again … \u00a0then I wouldn’t have done that podcast.\u00a0<\/p>\n “We have a view which is trying to talk to as many people as possible, but clearly that was an error.”<\/p>\n Watch 7.30<\/a>, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview<\/a> and ABC TV<\/p>\n Contact 7.30<\/p>\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1787221219_163_73f48bd07b103d52efcce31790142099.jpeg\")
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