Sydney's premiership hopes were "torpedoed" on Wednesday with the club banning stars Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner and Nick Blakey, as well as Riley Bice and James Jordon for the remainder of the season for "breaching club standards".
Independent of that, the players are set to be interviewed by Victorian sex crime detectives, who are travelling to Sydney, following a sexual assault allegation at their team hotel in Melbourne, with a woman making a formal complaint.
Heeney, who won back-to-back Bob Skilton Medals as the club's best and fairest in 2024 and 2025, has been widely reported as the primary target of the investigation although no charges haveyet been laid.
Leading dental brand Colgate has suspended a lucrative sponsorship deal with the 30-year-old vice captain, who along with his teammates has apologised for the behaviour at the Melbourne hotel.
AAP has contacted Heeney's management and Sydney for comment.
The Swans will name an extended squad on Thursday night to face North Melbourne on Sunday afternoon at the SCG, with the line-up decimated by the absence of the banned players.
Pavlich was asked if he had a message for Swans fans ahead of the match, which is a double-header with Sydney's AFLW team.
"Keep supporting us. We're sorry we are putting you all through this," he said at Swans headquarters on Thursday morning.
"It's been really challenging day for them (supporters), for us, for all our people who we care deeply about.
"We've got two games to look forward to on Sunday, the double header, and the girls are really excited about their match.
"We're excited to have a huge crowd at the SCG."
Meanwhile, Sydney's last premiership coach John Longmire says the suspensions of five players is "flattening" for all involved.
Longmire, who is currently the club's executive director of club performance, said the on-field ramifications of banning the players wasn't a priority for Swans hierarchy.
"It was just incredible deep sadness ... and that is probably where we're still sitting," he told Fox Footy on Wednesday night.
"Football aspirations weren't part of the discussions, they were very much in the background.
"At the forefront were other people issues - as they should have been.
"The people issues are the things that really led the discussions over the last few days ... the premiership discussions were at the very back-end of anything that was talked about."
The second-placed Swans are assured of hosting two finals as they seek to win the club's first premiership since under Longmire in 2012.
"It's flattening for a lot of people," he said.
"It's a challenge for everybody to be able to get through and be able to put one foot in front of the other and get things right.
"We feel for everybody."
Longmire was Sydney's head coach from 2011 to 2024 after being an assistant from 2002.
"The culture of the footy club has taken a big hit and it will take time for everyone to rebuild the trust in the football club," he said.
"You go from shock and disappointment, maybe a bit of anger in that, you get a bit of those emotions.
"And you also care about people, try and get that balance right, and it's very tricky."
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