Updated ,first published
Isaac Heeney’s children’s books have been dumped by major retailers and bookstores and a third instalment put on hold following an allegation of sexual assault against the Sydney Swans player.
The first two books in Heeney’s new Little Isaac Footy Fever series had been on shelves for barely two weeks before retailers began pulling them from sale as details emerged about the actions of five Swans players on Sunday night.
Aimed at children aged seven to 10 and billed as stories about finding “fun and friendship in sport”, they have now been pulled from sale by Big W and independent booksellers including Sydney-based Gleebooks, while major Heeney sponsors including Nike and Colgate have paused their endorsement deals.
The players – Heeney, Chad Warner, Riley Bice, James Jordon and Nick Blakey – who brought women back to a hotel room after a night of drinking, have apologised for breaching club standards and been suspended for the rest of the season. A source close to the players has said they deny any criminal wrongdoing.
Heeney was one of the AFL’s most marketable stars, including via his book series for small children. Publisher Allen & Unwin has paused publication of the third book, Super Swan, which was due to hit shelves in November ahead of the Christmas sales period, as well as promotion of the first two books.
“Allen & Unwin is aware of reports relating to Isaac Heeney and a Victoria Police investigation, and that his employer has exercised sanctions under club policy and his terms of employment,” the publisher said in a statement.
“We view this matter seriously and believe that the women involved deserve respect and support. We have paused promotion of his two books and the publication of his third book, while the police investigation is under way. We are unable to comment further while the matter is in the hands of the police.”
The series follows a young Isaac as he discovers Australian rules football and pursues his dream of becoming an AFL player. In First Bounce, he takes up the sport and tries to form a team with his brother and friends. In Game On, his temper gets the better of him when he punches a goal post in frustration, injuring his hand and fearing he has blown his chance of making the Swans side.
Some publishing contracts with high-profile figures include morality or disrepute clauses that allow publishers to respond to conduct that could cause reputational damage. It is not known whether Heeney’s contract contains such a clause.
Sales figures for Heeney’s books, which he co-authored with Nicole Hayes, who co-founded the all-female AFL podcast The Outer Sanctum, are not yet available because the books have not been on sale for long enough.
Retailer Big W halted sales of Heeney’s books, saying it regularly reviewed products to ensure they aligned with the company’s “values and community expectations”.
“We have decided to pause all sales of Little Isaac Footy Fever books in our stores and online, pending the outcome of this matter,” a Big W spokesperson said.
Gleebooks director David Gaunt said the bookshop had stopped selling the books across its three Sydney branches.
“Our standard practice is to proceed with caution, without prejudice, and remove a book in that situation until we have a resolution,” Gaunt said.
Sportswear giant Nike paused its lucrative sponsorship relationships with Heeney and his teammate Warner on Thursday.
In a statement, the company said it was “deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations”.
“While the investigation remains ongoing, Nike has paused its relationships with the Nike-contracted athletes involved and will continue to monitor developments closely,” a spokesman said.
Heeney, who was revealed as the focus of Victoria Police’s investigation into an alleged sexual assault at an East Melbourne hotel room on Monday morning, had a lucrative partnership with Nike.
Warner also lists the company in his Instagram bio, and Bice wears Nike boots while playing. The footwear giant has sponsored the Swans since 2017, and that deal remains ongoing.
Colgate, which also sponsored Heeney, said it was aware of the Victoria Police investigation.
“We take these matters very seriously and have suspended our partnership with Mr. Heeney pending completion of the investigation,” a Colgate spokesperson said. “As this remains an active police matter, we will have no further comment at this time.“
Heeney appeared in several advertisements and social media videos as part of his partnership with Colgate. Several of those videos appeared to have been deleted by Thursday morning.
It comes after Colgate ended its partnership with Heeney on Thursday morning. Telstra also suspended Heeney and Warner from their brand ambassador positions this week.
Melanie Kembrey is National Books Editor at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.
Kishor Napier-Raman is a senior business writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Previously he worked as a CBD columnist and reporter in the federal parliamentary press gallery.Connect via X or email.From our partners
About the Author
