Sydney coach Dean Cox has reaffirmed the club’s stance that all five players will remain stood down despite reports police have cleared one Swan.

As police continue their investigation into an alleged sexual assault at a Melbourne Hotel, it has emerged Riley Bice is now being treated as a witness to the incident after formal interviews were conducted.

The players have denied criminal wrongdoing, and no charges have been laid in relation to the police investigation, and The West Australian is not suggesting any criminal wrongdoing by any of the players interviewed.

However, Cox said Bice, along with Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, James Jordon and Nick Blakey, will remain suspended regardless and is unsure if or when any of the players will be brought back into the football club.

“Vic Police and the football club came out with a statement, and I won’t comment too much further on those statements,” he told reporters on Thursday as Sydney trained at the SCG.

“All five will remain stood down from the football club, the police investigation and the behavioural nature will be separated, and that will remain.

“[Reintegration] talks change daily. I think one thing that we’re unsure about is the nature of what reintegration looks like and getting the best balance between what the players and footy clubs need.”

He also did not reveal if the club had conducted its own drug testing amid claims illicit drugs were present in the hotel.

“We adhere to the illicit drug policy, and that’s one thing the footy club always do, I’m not privy to that information, but that’s something we’ll continue to do,” he said.

Cox said he is maintaining contact with all five players but operating purely from a welfare standpoint while defending the culture of the club.

“My first part of the conversation has only been how they’re going. I haven’t touched anything on the investigation; we need to get all the facts before we make any assumption of what it looks like,” he said.

“As a football club, we want to become a better football club, and that’s what we continue to do.”

It comes as the Swans prepare to host Brisbane in their qualifying final on Saturday, with Cox adamant the belief within the playing group has not faltered.

“The playing group is really excited about this opportunity; we are still as driven to win a premiership as we were a month ago, we’ve stood as one, and that’s something we’ll continue to do,” he said.

“The players understand the leadership of the footy club has as much belief in this group to achieve what we want to achieve and the brand and style we play has put us into a position to earn a qualifying final.

“I think certainly there’s still an expectation we’re hosting a qualifying at home with a chance for the prelim, so the magnitude of this game for the football club is huge.”

Cox also thanked the support of fans as he committed to repaying the faith shown to the club amid crisis.

“The love and the support our supporters give us, there is no greater stadium and the passion they’ve shown they’ve stood by us through some tough times, and we want to repay that.”

It comes as Brisbane coach Chris Fagan says Sydney’s recent thrashing of North Melbourne is a good reminder that the top-four side still pose a major threat.

The reigning premiers are short-priced favourites at $1.26, according to TABTouch, despite finishing lower on the ladder and forced to play at the Swans’ home ground. However, the Kangaroos were also heavily favoured heading into round 24.

“Sydney came out and played one of their best games of the year and won relatively easily,” Fagan said.

“I’m glad that has happened. It was good for our players to see that, so we are really clear that we’re playing Sydney on their ground on Saturday, and it’s going to be a really tough game.”

Fagan said despite the absence of Heeney, Warner, Blakey, Jordon and Bice, the Swans were still a strong team.

“They still got Errol Gulden, Tom Papley, (Callum) Mills at half-back and (Brodie) Grundy in the ruck, so they’ve still got plenty of threats,” he said.

“Over the course of time, they’ve been an incredibly competitive football club.”