Isaac Heeney dumped as face of own company amid Sydney Swans commercial fallout

A commercial recalibration around the Sydney Swans and their five stood-down players has begun, after Isaac Heeney was barred from appearing with once proud brands and bookshops spent Thursday morning removing the star’s books from shelves.

The decision by the Swans to end the season of the five players for breaching club standards by returning late to the team hotel after drinking has triggered a reaction from brands connected to the group, including Heeney’s own children’s football clinic business which has scrubbed him from promotions.

Victoria police have also said they are investigating an alleged sexual assault at the Pullman Hotel in Melbourne. None of the players stood down for breaching club standards have been arrested or charged with any offences.

5th Quarter Camps, a company co-owned by Heeney and others including Greater Western Sydney captain Toby Greene, said it was monitoring the ongoing investigation but had already taken steps to distance themselves from the Swans player.

“We have removed Isaac’s name and image across active promotional materials, and he has been stood down from our upcoming camps, which will still be running as planned,” the company said in a statement.

The children’s book series Little Isaac Footy Fever, co-written by Heeney, had already been withdrawn for sale at book stores Readings and Gleebooks by Thursday morning.

Publisher Allen & Unwin said they had paused promotion of the series, and a third planned book will not be published until the police investigation had concluded. “We view this matter seriously and believe that the women involved deserve respect and support,” the company’s statement read.

A similar approach was adopted by Heeney’s toothpaste partner Colgate. “We take these matters very seriously and have suspended our partnership with Mr Heeney pending completion of the investigation,” a statement from Colgate said.

Telstra, which has a relationship with Heeney and Chad Warner, said it was “deeply concerned by what’s been reported and respect the matter is currently being investigated by police” and they would not be involved in any ambassador activity while the investigation is ongoing. “We will review their ambassador arrangements once the investigation is complete and will provide an update at that time,” its statement read.

Britt Prince, founder of PR and marketing company Prince Sports & Entertainment, said most endorsement arrangements have conditions in them which would allow sponsors to abandon the deal if they bring the brand into disrepute. “I would say absolutely we’ll see contracts being ripped up, though we’ve seen a lot of brands just sit back and wait,” she said.

“Telstra’s response was that they will let the legal process play out. Personally, this is just my opinion, but I don’t agree with that. I think that they should be acting with more severity.”

Heeney, alongside fellow suspended players Nick Blakey and Warner, were in contention for All Australian selection this year, which typically carries a bonus for players named. The AFL confirmed the five stood down players would not be considered.

The five players apologised in relation to the club sanctions in a joint statement issued by the Swans on Wednesday evening. “We are deeply sorry to everyone involved,” they said. “We know that our behaviour has fallen well short of the standards expected of us and the values of our club.”

Prince said this was the biggest Australian sporting scandal since athletes have become sophisticated in developing their own personal brands.

“If you look back at past scandals, other players like Ben Cousins etcetera, these guys weren’t prolific on social media, they didn’t have the personal brands, the personal endorsements, publicist teams behind them, whereas now, in this day and age, they do,” she said. “So a player like Heeney, Warner, they have so much more to lose.”

She believed the impact on the club’s commercial revenues, by comparison, may not be as large. Swans chair Andrew Pridham thanked corporate partners when addressing the media on Wednesday and they were again mentioned in a letter to fans posted on social media on Thursday.

A statement from longtime Swans sponsor QBE said the company “acknowledges the seriousness of the allegations that have been reported”.

“We have no tolerance for conduct that compromises the safety, dignity or wellbeing of others and we support the club’s position in condemning all forms of abuse and disrespectful behaviour towards women,” the insurance company said.