Sydney Swans star Isaac Heeney dumped by fiancée Steffie Waters: The ‘betrayal’ she couldn’t forgive and what happened behind closed doors when she purged her Instagram: ‘He was the love of her life’

Isaac Heeney’s fiancée Steffie Waters has quietly called off their engagement after he was linked to the Sydney Swans hotel scandal, sources say.

Heeney, along with teammates Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice, was stood down by the club for attending a wild party at the Pullman East Melbourne with three strippers after the Swans’ August 16 victory over Essendon.

The three dancers later made police complaints alleging they had been sexually assaulted. No charges were laid and the women have engaged civil lawyers.

The Mail does not suggest the players named are personally under investigation. Their suspensions related to breaches of the club’s code of conduct, including drinking and bringing women back to hotel rooms, and were not connected to the police investigation.

Almost six weeks after the fateful night, it can now be revealed that Waters has been unable to forgive what she sees as Heeney’s betrayal by partying with strippers.

Within hours of the hotel scandal breaking, Waters fled the couple’s $4million Maroubra home and flew interstate to Noosa to avoid the media storm.

It is understood that Heeney spent weeks trying to save their relationship and kept in regular contact with Waters in the hope she would come around.

But after weeks of soul-searching, friends say Waters ultimately could not move past what she considered an act of infidelity after he partied with exotic dancers.

‘She is dealing with the breakdown of her relationship that has nothing to do with the allegations [to police], only the fact that Isaac has been unfaithful [in her eyes],’ said a source.

According to friends, the ongoing investigation is why Waters has been grieving the break-up away from public view. She felt unable to make a public statement about their engagement out of respect for the official process.

‘There are a lot more people involved than just her and Isaac so she is trying to be mindful of everyone,’ added the source.

The Daily Mail makes no suggestion that Heeney acted unlawfully, only that Waters viewed his partying with strippers as a breach of trust in their relationship.

When the news of the strippers’ accusations first broke, trolls targeted Waters with abusive comments under some of her loved-up photos with Heeney.

Friends say the public backlash was particularly difficult for Waters to deal with while navigating her own heartbreak.

‘She is lying low as much as she can and she has support around her. We wish she could do that in private, but she can’t,’ said a confidante.

Waters and Heeney, who had been dating for several years, became engaged while on holiday in French Polynesia last October.

With their model looks and prominent standing within the club, the two soon became something of a Swans poster couple, regularly attending official events together.

Waters’ social media portrayed her as a dedicated WAG who attended many games and proudly cheered on her man, the club’s blond-haired golden boy.

She often posted happy snaps alongside other Swans WAGs and even designed her own unofficial supporter outfit with Heeney’s name across it.

On September 19, in what we understand was her first tentative step towards moving on, Waters deleted several of their photos together, including their engagement post.

‘She could have done that in private but she can’t so all we can do is try and focus on supporting her,’ said a friend.

‘It’s sad. She was engaged to be married, planning a wedding, building their dream home. He was the love of her life.’

The split news comes amid growing belief in AFL and legal circles that sexual assault charges may be difficult to prosecute following a review of the evidence.

No charges have been laid and there is divided opinion over whether a secret recording seized by police in early September, and hailed as shedding light on the case, would be admissible in court.

The Victorian Director of Public Prosecutions is expected to receive a brief of evidence from the sexual crimes squad by the end of October.