FORMER Sydney coach John Longmire says the club's culture has taken a "big hit" and faces a long road to rebuild trust after five players were suspended for the rest of the season following an alleged incident in Melbourne this week.

Nick Blakey, Isaac Heeney, James Jordon, Riley Bice and Chad Warner were banned for breaching club standards and behaviour following the alleged incident on Monday morning, which is now the subject of a police investigation.

Swans CEO Matthew Pavlich on Wednesday said the club was "deeply embarrassed and ashamed" by the players' involvement, with Longmire echoing that sentiment.

"I can't comment on specifics of what happened but it's incredibly tough for everyone involved," Longmire, now the Swans' executive director of club performance, said on Fox Footy on Wednesday night.

"A lot of people involved in this footy club over a long period of time have been really proud of the culture. But the culture of the footy club has taken a big hit. And it'll take time for everyone to rebuild the trust in the football club."

Longmire coached the Swans in 333 matches before stepping down at the end of the 2024 season.

He said this was one of the darkest weeks in the club's history, with the impact being felt right among the men's and women's programs, staff, partners and families.

"To say it's been a challenging few days would be a huge understatement," he said.

"I'm not just speaking for myself but a number of others closely associated with this club, there's not many bad days you can compare to this.

"The first time I found out on Monday was shock. That took a while to sink in. Then incredible disappointment and deep sadness."

Longmire said Sydney's premiership ambitions did not come into calculations when working through a punishment for the players involved, saying those were secondary to welfare concerns and broader damage caused by the incident.

"The football aspirations weren't part of the discussions. The people issues were at the forefront, as they should have been," he said. "There are much bigger priorities in what happened over the last few days than the football discussions."

None of the five players will be considered for selection in the All-Australian squad this season, with Heeney, Warner and Blakey considered strong chances to be picked in the final team.

They will still be eligible for the 2026 Brownlow Medal.