‘Elephant in the room’ as clubs secretly circle banned Swans star

AFL legend Matthew Lloyd has outlined the “elephant in the room” as rival clubs begin looking into the contract situations of five suspended Swans players.

In particular, the noise around Nick Blakey’s future is intensifying, with journalist Sam McClure believing the gun defender already has one foot out of Sydney.

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Blakey is contracted to the end of 2031 but reports emerged late last week he is eyeing the exit door.

Club football manager Leon Cameron denied any knowledge of that when speaking to 3AW’s Sports Today.

“Firstly Nick is contracted, so that’s real,” Cameron said of Blakey.

“I check in with the five guys, they are five good lads, I check in with them regularly, and Nick hasn’t spoken of this.

“There is going to be speculation when clubs go through significant crisis... but it’s all speculation. Nick is contracted and so are the other guys.”

Blakey, Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, James Jordon, and Riley Bice have been suspended for the remainder of the season for breaking club standards by partying late into the night following a win over Essendon in Melbourne last month.

Separately, Victoria Police are investigating allegations of sexual assault inside a Pullman East hotel room. Detectives travelled to Sydney last week to formally interview the five players.

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Bice has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing. All players have denied criminal wrongdoing and no charges have been laid.

On Monday, The Age reported all five players will have to pay their own legal bills given AFL rules state they can’t get any financial assistance from the club, club benefactors or the players’ association.

The Swans have refused to comment on the playing futures of the five players, and it’s likely some, if not all, of them will have to continue their AFL careers elsewhere.

But the police investigation is expected to continue for several more weeks, and likely won’t be completed until after the AFL’s October trade period.

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Rival clubs, therefore, would be hesitant to move on a trade before knowing the outcome.

“I’d think Nick Blakey’s future at Sydney is just about done,” McClure told Nine’s Footy Classified on Monday night.

“He’s going to have a lot of clubs interested in him, but it’s completely complicated... by the fact Victoria Police have said there is unlikely to be another update for eight weeks, which takes us past the trade period.”

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Essendon champion Lloyd says clubs will be hesitant to be the first to confirm their interest in one of the suspended five.

“The elephant in the room... all 17 clubs would want Blakey and Warner playing for them next year,” Lloyd said.

“So who’s the first to put their hand up and approach and go public with the fact we’ve approved it with the board, approved it with the AFLW... be the first to strike?”

The AFL trade period opens on October 5. The Swans, meanwhile, are preparing to host a preliminary final next week.

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