Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has criticised the AFL over its handling of the current scandal engulfing the league.
On Wednesday, the Swans stood down five players for the rest of the AFL season — vice captain Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, James Jordon, Riley Bice and Nick Blakey — for breaching club standards for drinking and bringing women to the hotel.
Police from Victoria’s sexual crimes squad have since flown to New South Wales and are investigating a report of sexual assault, which the ABC understands centres on a player allegedly touching one of the women without her consent.
Swans players James Jordon, Chad Warner, Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey and Riley Bice have been stood down. (Getty Images/ABC News)
Mr Albanese told 7.30 that he felt the initial response was not good enough.
“It’s extraordinary that this has occurred,” Mr Albanese said.
“The idea that this is occurring is completely untenable, and the initial response as well was, I think, completely unacceptable.
“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.
“I don’t think that occurred at this time. The AFL certainly needs to do better.“
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.
Sydney Swans CEO Matthew Pavlich has issued several statements this week. (Getty Images: Mark Metcalfe)
“We’re still piecing together exactly what’s transpired here and have our own set of internal inquiries ongoing,” Mr Pavlich said on Monday.
“But safe to say that we’re extremely shocked and disappointed that this has taken place and that the players have found themselves in this situation.”
On Tuesday AFL CEO Andrew Dillon described the allegations as “deeply disturbing” in a statement.
On Thursday night the ABC reported that detectives investigating have been told some players paid female adult entertainers to consume drugs off their bodies.
Police have not made any arrests or laid charges.
Mr Albanese said the AFL and the Swans should “have a good look” at their culture.
Albanese to press Israel over Frankcom
While Mr Albanese was focused on several issues at home, the major geopolitical issue of the day involved Israel.
On Wednesday night, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) cleared its personnel of any criminal wrongdoing over a 2024 strike on a humanitarian convoy, which killed Australian woman Zomi Frankcom.
Ms Frankcom was killed in a strike by the IDF. (Supplied: Facebook)
The decision was described as an “outrage” by Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Thursday morning.
Mr Albanese told 7.30 he wanted a much more transparent response from the Israeli government.
“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.
Asked if that would involve an independent investigation, Mr Albanese said it was one option.
“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”.
“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.
“Her family deserved better, and frankly, Australia deserves better.
“We will press the Israeli government.
“[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.”
PM concedes podcast appearance was ‘an error’
The Prime Minister was also asked about criticism he’s faced over several comments he made on the Deep Bush podcast.
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Mr Albanese first came under scrutiny for playing “shag, marry, date” on the podcast, which was broadcast in July.
He has since unequivocally apologised for saying he would “shag” Kylie Minogue.
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.
Mr Albanese has not apologised specifically for the melon interaction and maintains that the gestures have been misinterpreted.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. (Reuters: Hollie Adams)
However, he told 7.30 that in hindsight he should not have gone on the podcast and that he had learned from it.
“I learned that I need to do better every day,” Mr Albanese said.
“If I had my time again … then I wouldn’t have done that podcast.
“We have a view which is trying to talk to as many people as possible, but clearly that was an error.“
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