THE FIVE Sydney players banned by their club for the rest of the season will not be eligible for All-Australian selection when it is finalised next week.

The AFL ruled on Wednesday that the five Swans players banned - Riley Bice, Nick Blakey, Isaac Heeney, James Jordon and Chad Warner - will not be considered for selection when the 46-man squad is announced on Monday evening.

Heeney, Warner and Blakey, all previous All-Australians, were considered strong contenders for selection again this season, based on their on-field performances.

The 2026 AA squad was initially meant to be announced on Tuesday night, but it was delayed when news of the Swans scandal came to light on Monday.

"Following the decision and appropriate club sanction imposed by the Sydney Swans today in relation to the conduct of five of their players, the AFL has determined those players will not be considered for selection in the 2026 All-Australian squad," the AFL said in a statement.

"This decision is independent of the ongoing Victoria Police investigation.

"The 2026 All-Australian squad will be finalised on Monday 24 August, with the team announced at the AFL Awards on Tuesday 25 August in Melbourne."

Heeney, Warner and Blakey were all named in the 2024 All-Australian side, while Heeney also won selection in 2022 and 2025.

The five players, however, will still be eligible for the 2026 Brownlow Medal, which will be awarded next month.

This is line with previous cases of players being banned for incidents not related to football, such as Adelaide's Izak Rankine last year, who was suspended for using a homophobic slur during a game but was still eligible to win the Brownlow.

In a joint statement released late on Wednesday, the five banned 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."