Sydney coach Dean Cox speaks as police investigating report of alleged sexual assault

Sydney coach Dean Cox cut a deflated figure as he faced questions at Swans HQ on Tuesday morning, with at least four of his players assisting police inquiries into a report of sexual assault .

Swans CEO Matthew Pavlich confirmed on Monday the club was “extremely shocked and disappointed” after “several players” were involved in an alleged incident at the Pullman Hotel in Melbourne after their win over Essendon on Sunday.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Dean Cox faces questions as players assisting with police investigation

Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Riley Bice and James Jordon have voluntarily offered their assistance to the police investigation, while Nick Blakey’s manager has denied he had any involvement, despite speculation he did.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning, Cox said there is still a lot more to play out in the saga which threatens to derail the Swans’ finals series.

“(I) understand the questions and we’ll update as we gather more information.”

The Agenda Setters’ Caroline Wilson said on Monday night it would be hard to imagine the players being allowed to take the field at least until the end of the police investigation, the timeline of which remains unclear.

The Swans will finish second on the ladder regardless of the result of their final home and away match this weekend before hosting a qualifying final in just under three weeks from now.

Asked if sanctions can be expected, Cox said: “We’re working our way through everything with the AFL and the relevant parties.

It’s understood the players drove back to Sydney from Melbourne via a hire car to avoid an inevitable throng of media at Sydney Airport.

Cox also said he would speak to the players involved “as the day unfolds”.

Victoria Police issued a statement on Monday confirming it had opened an investigation into “a report of a sexual assault”.

“The incident occurred at a hotel on Wellington Parade in the early hours of the morning,” police said.

“The exact circumstances are yet to be established and the investigation into the incident remains ongoing.”