‘Clearly it’s difficult’: Months-long Hawks racism probe looms as AFL boss wants coaches heard

The AFL has put forward its independent panel for the investigation into claims of racism at Hawthorn, as CEO Gillon McLachlan flagged a process lasting months.

The league boss’ stint in the top job may need to be extended to oversee the independent investigation, for which a diverse panel is being selected.

Both ex-Hawthorn and North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson, and Brisbane coach Chris Fagan, have denied any wrongdoing after disturbing claims from three First Nations ex-Hawks players.

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McLachlan said the league doesn’t know who is making the complaints given the Hawks players were given anonymity by the club’s report.

He also expressed his discomfort at the situation, which saw the Hawthorn report created and then made public without input from Clarkson and Fagan. The report was not intended to be a full investigation, just a truth-seeking exercise.

See what McLachlan had to say on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 in a full transcript below.

HAVE YOU SETTLED ON THE FOUR-PERSON INDEPENDENT PANEL?

“I interviewed some people this morning, we’ve gone through CVs and reference checks on others, and we put a panel to representatives of both parties. There’s been feedback on that.

“We want everyone to feel comfortable with the composition – as we talked about yesterday, it’s an independent panel. It’ll have the right functional skills but also diversity and that’s obviously cultural and gender.

“We’ll work through that over the coming period so that’s occurring in real-time as we speak now, I got an email on the way here with some feedback on the panel we put forward, so we’ll keep working through that.”

IS THERE MORE IN THE HAWKS REPORT THAT WILL CAUSE CONCERN?

“I need to be careful, it’s a confidential report. There was actually more in the papers yesterday, more substantive stuff, than was in the report in many senses.

“But there’s also some additional pieces in the report that haven’t come out. The flavour of what you read represents accurately the flavour of what’s in the report, if that makes sense.”

IF YOU HAD YOUR TIME AGAIN WOULD YOU HANDLE THIS DIFFERENTLY? ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF THE ALLEGATIONS WITH NO DEFENCE MADE

“I feel it’s a very difficult situation we find ourselves in. And so in terms of the way we handled it, we’ve had no input or control, or ability to shape any part of it.

“I reckon we need to make that distinction pretty clear – so there was a report, a series of interviews commissioned by Hawthorn, I’m not sure how much visibility they had of that process. We didn’t have visibility over it.

“Started hearing some things and reached out to see if Hawthorn felt they were giving everyone opportunity or on top of the report as it was being processed, and we got feedback that they were. And then the report arrives.

“And so I feel we picked this up roughly a week ago, and the report arrives and today we still are not sure who the people making the complaints are. It’s difficult then to start the process until we do that, but we respect greatly the courage to do it, hope they’re getting the support they need.

“We’re committed to getting to the bottom of this. Clearly there’s also some challenges the way it has landed for, I feel, both sides. It’s difficult clearly for the claimants with the publicity and then those accused, and what we need to do is run these allegations to ground.”

HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO ALASTAIR CLARKSON AND CHRIS FAGAN?

“I’ve spoken to both of them this week. I reached out to say this would be investigated and I hope you’re getting the support you need, and getting the right processes around you.

“But there’s going to be an independent process and your version needs to be heard, and got to the bottom of it, but there’ll be a process to speak to that.

“I think this is a very difficult thing for you guys and I hope you’re going OK, in the same way I’m reaching out to the other side to ensure they’re getting the support they need.”

THE ACCUSERS HAVE ANONYMITY, CLARKSON AND FAGAN DON’T. ARE YOU FEARFUL THE DAMAGE IS ALREADY DONE?

“I’m very careful that what I say doesn’t diminish – we’re grateful for these people telling their stories, we’re grateful for their courage to do so.

“But clearly it’s difficult when allegations are put out like that without another side of the story.

“And I spoke to the Indigenous boys last night about this – I feel when we’re talking about the process from here, that they would want, when things are said about them or put about them, that they would like a forum to have those allegations tested before they were run out. And I think we would all want that.”

DOES THE PROCESS CHANGE WHEN YOU’LL LEAVE THE AFL?

“I met with KCs and senior people today as part of the interview process for the panel, and asking how long they think it would take, and it’s months. A couple of months.

“You’ve got to run this to ground, people have to be available to talk, all of those things. There’s certainly an issue about whether it would be appropriate for me to leave with this all afoot.

“The allegations are that serious and it’s livelihoods that are at stake, and there are people who’ve suffered great trauma who need to be worked through this.

“The responsibility for all that does sit in the remit of this office ultimately and so there is certainly fair questions, I don’t have an answer for you (on leaving the job).”

HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO NORTH AND BRISBANE ABOUT NOT HAVING THEIR COACHES NEXT YEAR?

“I haven’t spoken about that because that would be predetermining and that would be presumptive.

“I’ve certainly spoken to both clubs, and where they landed yesterday certainly was in line with what I thought was appropriate, and then taking leaves of absence or committing not to start until this was done I think is entirely appropriate given the scale of the allegations, and the seniority of the people involved.

“That they have a leave of absence and wait for the investigation to be completed and I worked with the clubs on that, they’re club decisions but certainly supported.”