Significant step looms in Hawthorn saga as coaches agree to dates for talks with former Hawks players
A significant step looms in the Hawthorn racism scandal, with Alastair Clarkson and Chris Fagan scheduled to meet face-to-face with ex-Hawks players for the first time since explosive allegations surfaced.
7 News Melbourne on Tuesday night reported Clarkson and Fagan – who’ve strongly denied the claims – were expected to come face-to-face with four-time premiership star Cyril Rioli, as well as other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander former Hawks players, for conciliation talks in late March.
The report from Mitch Cleary stated the Human Rights Commission conciliation process would take place in Melbourne on March 26 and 27 – one day before Fagan’s Lions host Collingwood and two days prior to Clarkson’s Kangaroos taking on Carlton.
Despite talks scheduled to be held just days before blockbuster clashes, Cleary reported on 7 News Melbourne that both coaches were “accepting of the dates requested” and that it showed the duo had a strong commitment to the process.
It’s expected Hawks representatives will also be part of the discussion, with potential for a resolution to be struck at the end of talks – should all parties be satisfied with the outcome – 18 months after explosive allegations became public.
According to reports, previous attempts at mediation between the parties have fallen over.
The AFL in May last year ended its probe into allegations of historic racism at Hawthorn, with “no adverse findings” made against former Hawks coach Clarkson, ex-football boss Fagan and former welfare manager Jason Burt.
However the agreement struck didn’t preclude the complainants from taking other action,
The racism claims — made by Rioli, ex-Hawks Carl Peterson, Jermaine Miller-Lewis and Indigenous club liaison Leon Egan, and partners Shannyn Ah Sam-Rioli and Montanah Miller-Lewisian — stemmed from 2008 to 2016.
Clarkson, who faced some of the more severe claims, was granted time away from North Melbourne last year to look after his mental wellbeing amid the investigation.
Fagan and Burt also took a leave of absence from their roles at the Lions and Caulfield Grammar respectively after the Binmada report was leaked to the media in September 2022.
