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The woman at the centre of the sexual assault allegations engulfing the Sydney Swans has completed a formal statement to police about what occurred in the East Melbourne hotel room on Monday morning.
A source familiar with the investigation, but not authorised to speak publicly, said the woman attended a city police station on Tuesday afternoon to provide a written complaint about what unfolded at the Pullman hotel.
Her official version of events, which involves an act of touching beyond what was agreed, will form the basis of Victoria Police’s ongoing investigation.
On Monday, police announced detectives from the Sexual Crimes Squad had taken carriage of the probe.
The Sydney Swans had been staying at the hotel after playing Essendon at the MCG on Sunday night, ahead of plans to return home the next day.
A number of players had allegedly been drinking, and two women were invited to their hotel sometime after 2am.
What happened next is the subject of the complaint filed by one of the women, the details of which have not been made public.
The two women left the hotel room and were joined by a third woman in the foyer, where there was a commotion, this masthead has previously reported.
Detectives attended the hotel to collect evidence and CCTV footage on Monday. None of the players involved has been formally interviewed.
At least five players returned to Sydney that night in a rental car, driving the eight-hour trip instead of flying to allegedly avoid the media gathered at both airports.
Representatives of Isaac Heeney, Riley Bice, James Jordon and Chad Warner were contacted for comment after two senior industry sources identified them as part of the group returning together.
A representative of Nick Blakey denied any involvement, and stated Blakey had not been asked to speak with the police even informally. Blakey had remained in Melbourne to travel back to Sydney with his four teammates. He is also one of the group subsequently suspended by the club.
This masthead has previously reported that all five players had been prepared to speak with police on Monday, but only one was ultimately questioned.
A source with knowledge of the incident, but not authorised to speak publicly, said police told the group they were not ready to conduct a formal interview or speak with any of the players acting as witnesses.
The source said leading Melbourne criminal lawyer Tony Hargreaves was called in to assist the players before they were told they were free to return home.
AFL chief Andrew Dillon said on Tuesday – before the complaint was filed – that the allegations were “deeply concerning”.
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