"I was not in the room": Cox addresses “disgusting and degrading” allegations

Sydney head coach Dean Cox has emphatically denied being in the Melbourne hotel room where an alleged sexual assault took place amid claims from the lawyer representing two of the alleged victims that club leaders had been present.

Speaking alongside Swans captain Callum Mills for the first time since allegations of alleged sexual assault were made on Monday, Cox and his skipper apologised to the alleged victims, their AFLW team, female Swans workers and women in the community, vowing to win back their respect.

Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice will not play again this season with the Swans saying they had all breached team standards.

A lawyer representing two women involved in the scandal said the allegations his clients had described are among the most “disgusting and degrading” he has heard in his 28 years on the job.

“With what has been alleged, these women were subject to the most disgusting actions and behaviour I have ever heard about in my 28 years as a lawyer,” Mr Karantzis told 3AW’s Tom Elliott.

“These women already have a difficult job and what they were subjected to is alleged, demeaning, abhorrent, and simply not moral or acceptable.

“It’s more than five (men in the room), that’s for sure. More than five men and it’s alleged that there were even a few leaders in that room."

Asked point blank if he had been present, Cox said: "I wasn't in the room.

"We all have women in our lives we love. Respect for women in a high priority for myself personally and this club. I apologise to women in the community for the actions of the players. we are extremely disappointed by the actions of the players.

"To the women involved I hope everyone is getting the support they need. Our culture is not perfect. Our culture has taken a hit. How you respond and the actions you take, we are going to work through and try to get the trust back of our community."

The Swans later released a statement condemning the "misinformation" that there were more than five Swans people in the hotel room.

"The Sydney Swans can confirm that all investigations carried out by the Club have consistently indicated that the only representatives of the Club in the room central to the police investigation were the five players who have been stood down," read the statement.

"We have every reason to consider that reports to the contrary are simply false.

"We are respecting the process with the relevant authorities and will refrain from commenting on Police matters.

"We would also like to take this opportunity to condemn some of the misinformation being reported and are now considering our legal position on those matters."

The alleged victim of the sexual broke her silence on Friday saying she simply wanted justice.

“I don’t want money. All I care about is justice," she said.

“I’m going to stand up for what is right. And I’m never going to let this happen to anyone else. Justice will be served.

“I care about women’s rights and what’s right, because this happens too often to women and they get away with it.”

Mills described the shock he felt at hearing the allegations earlier in the week and endorsed the Swans' decision to stand the quintet down.

"I'm deeply a shocked to be here," he said. "I want to apologise to the women in our lives our AFLW team and our female staff and all women in the community. We take this very seriously. We hope the women involved are getting the support they deserve.

"As a playing group we fully support the sanctions handed down. We are deeply sorry, we take full responsibility.

"There's a range of emotions, there's sadness and anger. I can say there is not a rift within the group."

Re-cap what was said in the press conference below.

DEAN COX

"We all have women in our lives we love. Respect for women in a high priority for myself personally and this club. I apologise to women in the community for the actions of the players. we are extremely disappointed by the actions of the players. To the women involved I hope everyone is getting the support they need. Our culture is not perfect. Our culture has taken a hit. How you respond and the actions you take, we are going to work through and try to get the trust back of our community.

"As you understand this is a police matter, there will be some questions I cant answer.

"We back ourselves in and we will work hard to move forwards.

"I've spoken to the players and my role as coach we fully support the sanctions. But this is not a football issue. I cant ask the players what happened that night because this is a police investigation.

"Everyone at this club has gone through different emotions.

"I hope our club is united."

Asked if he was in the room that night, Cox said emphatically: "I wasn't in the room".

"I have to make sure our club can gel back as quickly as we can."

CALLUM MILLS

"I'm deeply a shocked to be here. I want to apologise to the women in our lives our AFLW team and our female staff and all women in the community. We take this very seriously. We hope the women involved are getting the support they deserve.

"As a playing group we fully support the sanctions handed down. We are deeply sorry, we take full responsibility.

"It's an investigation but I was extremely shocked. I addressed the AFLW players and acknowledge their pain and I apologised for the actions of a few in our group.

"We believe the five players have let us down and we will do everything we can to regain the respect and trust of the community.

"It's on going. This is not about football.

"It's a powerful moment that men's and AFLW will come together this weekend at the SCG.

"There's a range of emotions, there's sadness and anger. I can say there is not a rift within the group.

"Football is secondary at the moment but we will stick together."