Sydney Swans sued after coach Mark Heaney sexually abuses junior player The Sydney Swans are embroiled in a multimillion-dollar legal battle over the sexual grooming of a promising young player by a coach, while the boy’s father claims the club “brushed the abuse under the carpet”. Our client, the young player’s father, is suing the AFL club in the NSW Supreme Court, and said the alleged ordeal has “hung like a black cloud over my freedom and wellbeing”. The man has asked the court to award him damages over the “trauma” he allegedly suffered after learning his son had been groomed and sexually abused by development coach Mark Heaney. Heaney, who coached the boy at the Sydney Swans Junior Academy, was jailed for 12 months in 2014 over the abuse. The boy, who cannot legally be identified, launched an institutional sexual abuse action in the Supreme Court against the Swans and Heaney last December. He claims the ordeal destroyed his dream to become a professional player. It can now be revealed his father launched a similar legal action against the club and Heaney last month. Both father and son have accused the Swans of failing to keep the young player safe. Father and son are represented by lawyer Cameron Doig from Arnold Thomas & Becker, who said his clients had struggled emotionally. “This trauma significantly impacted the father’s relationship with his son,” Mr Doig said. “He has held in the pain for years, struggling with anxiety and trouble sleeping.” Mr Doig said the father was seeking “accountability from a wealthy and well-resourced defendant” in the Swans “whose brand carries significant community trust”. Read the full story at The Daily Telegraph. Contact us As a leading Australian Abuse firm, we have helped hundreds of brave abuse survivors obtain compensation for physical, psychological and sexual abuse in institutional settings. Money can’t take the pain away, however, it can help achieve clarity and closure. We have extensive experience in obtaining ground-breaking multi-million dollar payments for our clients. For more information, visit our Sexual Abuse webpage. For a confidential conversation with a lawyer, call us today on 1300 333 300 or send us a message at [email protected]