The Sydney Swans AFLW Captain opens up about a club in crisis; A man charged over a horrific attack in Brisbane yesterday; And in N-R-L, the Panthers lose a key player heading into finals season.
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TRANSCRIPT
- The Sydney Swans AFLW Captain opens up about a club in crisis.
- A man charged over a horrific attack in Brisbane yesterday.
- And in N-R-L, the Panthers lose a key player heading into finals season.
Sydney Swans senior coach Dean Cox and captain Callum Mills have apologised for the crisis that has engulfed the club this week.
Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, Chad Warner, Riley Bice and James Jordon have been suspended for the rest of the season for breaching the club's standards, following last Sunday's win over Essendon in Melbourne.
Police are also investigating allegations of a sexual assault at a room in the Pullman Hotel, but no charges have been laid.
Captain Callum Mills says the team is deeply sorry and fully accepts the the sanctions on the five players.
"We believe that the five players have let us down and we believe that we will be doing everything we possibly can to repay the respect and the trust of the community again."
The Sydney Swans have also released a statement responding to claims by a lawyer representing two of the alleged victims, that there were more than five men in the room.
The statement says 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.
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And Sydney Swans AFLW coach Colin O'Riordan and captain Lucy McEvoy have also addressed the media, saying they are disappointed by what's happened but they support the club broadly.
Lucy McEvoy says the team is grateful for the support its players have received from within and outside the club, and urged the community to show their support at the next match this weekend.
"We're incredibly disappointed, as a lot of people are, with what's occurred at the beginning of this week, and we know that the actions of those five plays are not a reflection of the broader club and and the the programs more broadly. But as I said, we're extremely disappointed, and we're looking forward to hopefully showing our support for women in general on Sunday at our game at 12:30."
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A man has been charged with six counts of rape after he allegedly assaulted a woman on her morning walk, in the Brisbane suburb of Brookfield early yesterday.
Police allege 32-year-old Jacob Dave Henry Hauraki approached the woman from behind and dragged her into nearby bushes where he assaulted her, before she fled through a creek and bushland and called for help.
Police arrested the man at about 4pm and will allege he drove past the crime scene on his way home from work.
Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham commended the victim's bravery.
"This is a horrific and confronting incident that no one should ever experience. She has suffered injuries as a result of the assault but she has been provided with the utmost care medically and psychologically."
And if this story has raised issues for you, help is available at 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
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A new priority process that could see some Australian citizens wait longer for their partners to receive a visa has drawn criticism.
As the Labor government faces pressure to curb its net overseas migration, the backlog for visa applications has been growing.
Last month, the Department of Home Affairs updated its website detailing low priority for family visa applications - which includes partner visas - where the primary applicant is outside Australia at the time of application.
While the new processing priority is legal under a Ministerial Direction reform, some migration experts describe it as discriminatory.
Amir Bukhari's, whose wife is still waiting in Pakistan for her partner visa, tells SBS World News he doesn't know how long the application will take to process.
"I'm closely monitoring the visa process these days, and time has increased. From 27 months to 30. So it looks like we have to wait longer than we expected. But, we can't do much. I wanted to start my life with her, and I wanted to plan my family - but at the moment we are stuck."
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And in the NRL...
Key Penrith player Jack Cogger has received a three match ban for his high shot on Tyran Wishart during the Panthers 22-14 win over the Melbourne Storm last night.
Cogger received a grade-two charge that rules him out until after the first week of finals.
Unless Cogger can plead his case at the judiciary and win, the Panthers will be forced to recall Blaize Talagi or Jack Cole.
Cogger also received a $3000 fine for a shot on Storm forward Angus Hinchey earlier in the clash.
