The best way to deal with a crisis by Leisa Goddard

    There is something almost revolutionary about the Sydney Swans’ response to their current crisis.

    They have behaved as though standards actually mean something.

    The first thing they did right was act quickly.

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    Rather than allowing the story to ferment for weeks like an abandoned yoghurt, they club made a decision.

    Second, they separated the club’s standards from the police investigation.

    The Swans did not declare anyone guilty of a crime; they decided that behaviour could breach the club’s rules even while the criminal investigation continued.

    Third, they accepted genuine consequences.

    Five players – including some of the club’s biggest stars – will miss the rest of the season.

    Fourth, senior management fronted the cameras.

    And this matters. Chairman, Andrew Pridham, and CEO, Matthew Pavlich, didn’t hide behind a written statement.

    They showed accountability, fronted the media, and took questions.

    In contrast, we’re still waiting for someone from The Scots College to front cameras.

    As recently as yesterday the prestigious Sydney college was still hiding behind lengthy (very lengthy) written statements.

    Another stark difference to Scots’ legally sanitised, each-syllable approved wording approach, is the Swans apologised. Well, eventually.

    The first rule of crisis communication is empathy.

    You just need to read the criticism to see empathy, especially for alleged victims, has been lacking.

    Sixth, the Swans made the cost of failure visible.

    Scots has parents now calling for the principal to be sacked because of a perceived lack of action.

    A crisis is not necessarily managed by making the organisation look innocent.

    Sometimes it is managed by showing the organisation is willing to admit when its standards have been breached and then actually enforcing them.

    Imagine if federal Labor Ministers did that.

     

    This article was published in The Daily Telegraph on August 20, 2026.

    Leisa Goddard has more than 30 years’ experience at the highest levels of Australian journalism and is one of the country’s most sought-after Media Trainers. Leisa solves complex communication challenges and provides strategic advice to skillfully manage proactive and reactive media. She understands the media landscape, applies critical thinking in a crisis, and remains on-air as a regular media contributor on News24.