SYDNEY chairman Andrew Pridham has apologised for the scandal that has engulfed the club and the AFL, saying the five players who have been suspended for the rest of the season are "extremely remorseful" for their actions.

Pridham admits the club has "effectively torpedoed" its premiership chances by banning five players - Riley Bice, Nick Blakey, Isaac Heeney, James Jordon and Chad Warner - for the rest of the season, including finals, after the club ruled them out for breaching club standards and behaviours.

Swans CEO Matthew Pavlich said the club is "deeply embarrassed and ashamed" of the players' involvement in the alleged incident in Melbourne, which is now the subject of a police investigation.

Pavlich confirmed the players were not under a curfew on Sunday night, but said their behaviour fell short of club standards.

"We are deeply embarrassed and ashamed by the poor choices of our five players ... we are expressing our concerns deeply for the women involved," Pavlich said.

In a joint statement released late on Wednesday, the five Swans players said they were "deeply sorry to everyone involved".

"We are deeply sorry to everyone involved. We know that our behaviour has fallen well short of the standards expected of us and the values of our club," the statement read.

"We know we have let down our partners and families, members, supporters, teammates, the AFLW team, corporate partners and everyone at the club and the wider community.

"We accept the club sanction and apologise for the impact this has had on those involved.

"Our focus will now be on rebuilding trust with the club and the community."

Sydney has not ruled out further sanctions once the outcome of the police investigation is clear. The Swans said the five players will potentially face police questions about drug use.

"There is deep disappointment at the club at what has occurred and we know that many people are hurting," Pridham said.

"This is a very sad day for us and everyone involved.

"The players involved are extremely remorseful for their actions that have breached club standards. The sanction that we have imposed and the impact that will have on our football season is clear for all to see.

"The fact that we've got to the place where we are today, and we've effectively suspended the players for the balance of season when we're heading into a final series, just tells you how seriously we've taken it.

"The only way we can deal with it is to put our foot down incredibly hard, which we've done.

"A very important point to make that we, as a football club, that is our business and to effectively torpedo our season by making decisions just tells you how serious we're taking it."

Pavlich wasn't as pessimistic about the season and finals campaign to come. 

"I am always glass half full and I'm always optimistic of what our club, what our people can do," Pavlich said.

"We're deeply embarrassed and ashamed that the poor choices of five of our players, and the impact that's had on the women involved, and also the club, our supporters and so many other people."

Pavlich stressed the club banned the five players for breaching team standards, separate from the police investigation.

"It was staying out late, it was drinking, it was continuing their night, it was bringing women back to the hotel," he said.

The ban encompasses the round 24 game against North Melbourne on Sunday plus the club's finals campaign.

Sydney's men's players - minus the five who are banned - trained at the SCG on Wednesday, following the AFLW squad's session earlier in the morning.

The Swans will host North Melbourne at the SCG on Sunday with a barely recognisable team to the one that beat Essendon last week. Warner, Blakey and Jordon have played all 22 games for the Swans this season, while Heeney and Bice have played 20 games each.

The match will also be a double-header, with the Swans' AFLW team facing Essendon before the men's match.

The men's side has already locked up second spot on the ladder and are guaranteed two home finals.

While the five players won't be eligible for selection again this season, they will be invited back to the club at an appropriate time.

"We're not abandoning our players," Pavlich said. "We are supporting our players through this really challenging time for them."

Pavlich and Pridham emphatically backed Swans coach Dean Cox, who reportedly returned to the team hotel after midnight following the win over Essendon.

"The staff, coaches, physios, doctors, commercial staff, media people had a get together, pre-planned get together," Pavlich said.

"They all finished the game quite late so they got back to the hotel quite late, had some dinner, and then went out.

"It wasn't inappropriate what they did."

Pavlich was uncertain if there would be backlash from fans, members and corporate sponsors.

"We have been informing them as early as we can," he said.

"What I would say is we have got wonderful support at the club in that space, our commercial partners have been wonderful."

Club officials spent Tuesday speaking with the players involved in the alleged incident at a location away from Swans headquarters. 

In a statement released on Tuesday evening, the club said officials had emerged from those talks with the belief that those players "were in serious breach" of the standards expected of Swans players and would be penalised.

The club also acknowledged that the allegations had a serious impact on the women involved in the alleged incident, and expressed concern for their wellbeing.

The banning of the players, which the Swans said came with the support of the AFL, comes after AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon on Tuesday released a statement, calling the allegations "deeply concerning".

"While the matter remains under police investigation, it raises broader issues for our game and our responsibilities as a sport," Dillon said.

"The woman who made the report to police is entitled to privacy and care, and that should be respected."