The board of the Sydney Swans will meet in the next 24 hours as the AFL club remains at the centre of a police investigation into an alleged sexual assault in Melbourne.

At least four Swans players have assisted police over a report of an alleged incident at the team hotel, the Pullman East Melbourne, in the early hours of Monday morning.

Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, James Jordon and Riley Bice were spoken to by police. However, no one has been arrested or formally interviewed.

This masthead is not suggesting the players are under investigation or guilty of any wrongdoing, just that they have assisted police with enquiries.

The Swans players have now arrived back in Sydney after driving rental cars to avoid waiting media at the airport. Club officials are expected to meet with each of the players at individual offsite locations.

According to AFL.com.au, decisions regarding the immediate futures of players are set to be made at a board meeting late on Tuesday or Wednesday morning.

The playing group and staff had remained in Victoria following a win over Essendon on Sunday at the MCG, which is just 200m from the Pullman Hotel in East Melbourne.

In new vision exclusively obtained by 7News, Sydney coach Dean Cox and other football staff were spotted standing on a Melbourne street in the hours before the alleged assault. The vision was taken just after 12.30pm.

It’s understood the Swans had a club function at Harlow Bar in Richmond, just metres from where Cox and fellow Sydney staff were filmed via CCTV. Cox appears to be getting into a car at the end of the footage.

Cox addressed the wider playing group at the club’s headquarters at Moore Park on Tuesday. It is understood the players who spoke to police were not present.

Earlier, Cox and Sydney captain Callum Mills spoke to reporters for the first time since news of the police investigation came to light.

Cox said he was “extremely disappointed with what’s happened and understand the questions and will update when we have more information”.

“We are working our way through everything with the AFL and all parties and will update when we have more information,” he said.

Asked if he had spoken to the players, Cox said: “We’ll speak as the day unfolds.”

Mills added that he “can’t really comment”.

“It’s an investigation (that’s) ongoing, and we don’t have the facts yet,” he said.

“Once everything is sorted and the facts are understood, then we can comment.”

The Herald Sun has reported sources have claimed that a player had arranged for at least two women to join them at the hotel in the early hours of Monday after a large group of Swans player had been out for dinner and drinks.

Sources say a commotion then reportedly erupted in the hotel room of one of the players.

The report states at least one of the women left the room and headed downstairs where they confronted club and hotel staff in the lobby. A woman, who was visibly and audibly upset, reportedly told venue and club staff that she had been “inappropriately touched”.

Victoria Police confirmed on Tuesday morning the investigation was now being led by the Sexual Crimes Squad.

“Detectives from the Sexual Crimes Squad are investigating a report of a sexual assault in East Melbourne on 17 August,” the statement read, as cited by the Herald Sun.

“The incident occurred at a hotel on Wellington Parade in the early hours of the morning. The exact circumstances are yet to be established and the investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

“Police spoke to a number of people at the hotel; however, no one has been arrested or formally interviewed at this time.”

It follows a brief statement from the Swans on Monday: “The Sydney Swans can confirm several players were involved in an alleged incident in Melbourne last night.

“The Swans have notified the AFL and relevant authorities and cannot provide further comment at this stage.”

Other AFL coaches addressed the controversy in their weekly press conferences, including fellow top-four teams Fremantle and Brisbane.

Dockers coach Justin Longmuir said it was “surprising” to learn that several Sydney players had spoken with police.

“I’m not going to comment on it any further,” Longmuir said. “They’re serious allegations that have been made, and being investigated, and I just don’t see how everyone piling on is going to help.”

Lions coach Chris Fagan doesn’t expect the investigation to be resolved quickly and says the “difficult” situation should remind AFL players of the behaviour expected of them.

“It’s something I don’t really want to comment about,” Fagan said.

“I’m glad it’s not us. I wouldn’t like to be in their shoes, but there’s so many facts and things to be revealed and investigated that it would be unfair to talk about that.

“I mean, the ideal scenario for them would be that there’s nothing to see, and it’ll be all wrapped up within a week. I suspect that’s not going to be the case.

“So it’s going to be a difficult situation for them to manage their way through and I’m just glad that we’re not in that situation.

“The whole thing is just a good reminder to every AFL player at every club about the standards of behaviour that we’re expecting.”

Hawthorn great Luke Hodge has called for the Swans players to be stood down while declaring the culture of the club “fractured”.

“They have got to stand them down until they are either cleared or more information comes out,” Hodge told SEN.

The Swans have already locked in a home qualifying final ahead of their final regular-season match against North Melbourne at the SCG on Sunday.

But Hodge said finals would be the “last thing in the Swans’ mind right now”.

“What happens in September is that far from their mind right now because they are more worried about their players,” he said. “What they are going through, what they have been through, they are more worried about the group outside of the four or five (who have spoken to police).

“But then the flow-on from that is trying to keep the rest of this group upbeat, because they may go into the next month of football without four or five of their best players.

“I know they’ve got the ‘Bloods Culture’ and all that. That’s fractured at the moment, that Bloods Culture. That ‘we’ll do anything for one another’, that is fractured.”

The AFL has also delayed the release of the All-Australian squad, which was set to be unveiled on Tuesday. The final All-Australian team is still set to be confirmed at the AFL Awards on August 25.

Anyone with information that could assist police with their investigation are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Reports can be made anonymously.

1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service: 1800 211 028