Sydney Swans forward Tom Papley issued court notice after roadside drug test

Sydney Swans AFL forward Tom Papley, 30, was stopped by New South Wales police on Monday for a routine roadside licence check. The stop resulted in a court attendance notice for driving with a suspended licence, which the club said stemmed from a non‑payment of a parking fine.

During the stop, police administered a random drug test that returned a "positive preliminary test indication," according to a statement released by the Swans. A second sample was collected for further laboratory analysis, with the club noting that results from the second test are expected to take at least four weeks.

The Swans confirmed that Papley informed the club of the incident immediately and that the organisation has notified the Australian Football League. The forward has played 20 matches and kicked 33 goals this season, with the team later eliminated in a preliminary final loss to Fremantle.

Papley's case follows a series of off‑field incidents involving other Swans players. Earlier in the season, five players – Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, Chad Warner, Riley Bice and James Jordon – were suspended for breaching club standards related to alcohol consumption and conduct after a match in Melbourne. Police are treating Bice as a potential witness in a separate alleged sexual‑assault investigation at the Pullman hotel, while investigations involving Heeney, Warner, Blakey and Jordon remain ongoing.

No arrests or charges have been reported in connection with Papley's drug test, and the players involved have denied any criminal wrongdoing. Nick Blakey has since transferred to North Melbourne as part of a high‑profile trade.