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After more than two years, the Hawthorn alleged racism saga is over, with the Hawks settling their court case with a group of Indigenous former players.
The Hawks have, according to a report by The Age, reached a financial agreement with the players, who include Hawks legend and four-time premiership player Cyril Rioli, and have also apologised for their experiences while at the club, after two days of mediation.
The group pursuing legal action included Rioli and partner Shannyn Ah-Sam Rioli, former Hawks Carl Peterson and Jeramaine Miller-Lewis, the latter’s partner Montannah-Rae Lewis, and former Hawthorn Indigenous liaison officer Leon Egan.
While the exact details of the resolution are confidential, the Hawks and the group released a joint statement which includes an apology to the players.
The statement reads:
1. The former players, partners and their families commenced Federal Court proceedings alleging that Hawthorn Football Club engaged in acts of racial discrimination that had a significant impact on them.
2. Hawthorn accepts that the allegations were made in good faith, and has heard, respects, and accepts that they represent their truths. Hawthorn is sorry and apologises that the former players, partners, and their families, in either pursuing a football career, or in supporting such a person, experienced ongoing hurt and distress in their time at the Club.
3. Hawthorn remains committed to providing a safe environment for First Nations peoples and the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination.
4. No person should suffer to pursue a career in football. By the former players, partners, and their families sharing their truths and raising their allegations, this has provided valuable learnings for the Club and has greatly assisted the Club in improving its processes, education and the care it provides to each First Nations player and their support persons. The Club thanks the former players, partners, and their families for their courage in providing this guidance.
(Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
5. As a direct result of the allegations raised by the former players, partners, and their families, Hawthorn has:
a. established a First Nations Advisory Committee comprising the Chair and the CEO, Professor Barry Judd, Aunty Joy Murphy, Alan Thorpe and Chad Wingard;
b. developed and implemented a First Nations strategic plan with the expertise and advice from several First Nations advisors, with experience from the AFL, Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission and Victorian Government;
c. expanded the role of its Indigenous Player Development Manager, which now incorporates Head of Indigenous Affairs;
d. in constructing a future home at the Kennedy Community Centre, is seeking to ensure a culturally safe environment by:
i. the re-location of the established Tyetdji Yulk cultural room currently at Bunjil Bagora, Waverley Park, to a prominent position overlooking the entrance of the Harris Elite Training Facility;
ii. the inclusion of a yarning circle which overlook the main training oval and nearby to the main entrance; and
iii. the potential inclusion of an outdoor community and ceremony space embedded to the south of the main facility footprint.
6. Hawthorn continues to learn from the experiences of the former players, partners, and their families and all people involved with the Club. The fact the former players, partners and their families feel the way they do about their time at Hawthorn will continue to guide how the Club interacts with and supports First Nations peoples moving forward.
7. Hawthorn is committed to working with, and welcoming back, the former players, partners, and their families in the hope that they will feel able to return to the Hawthorn Football Club.
8. Hawthorn and the former players, partners, and their families have chosen to settle the Federal Court proceeding, without determination of any parties’ allegations, in the best interests of everyone. Hawthorn and the former players, partners, and their families wish to record their thanks to Ms Kate Eastman SC and Mr Mick Gooda, who mediated this proceeding, for the assistance they provided the parties in being able to reach a resolution of this litigation.
Bombshell allegations of racism against key former Hawks staffers including former coach Alastair Clarkson and then-football general manager Chris Fagan, now a premiership coach at Brisbane, were first aired in an ABC article by Russell Jackson in September 2022.
They included claims Clarkson told a former player, now identified as Peterson, and his partner Rotumah to terminate their pregnancies, as well as claims Clarkson referred to Rioli as ‘Humphrey B. Bear’.
Clarkson and Fagan were briefly stood down from their coaching roles at North Melbourne and the Lions respectively in the wake of the allegations, with Clarkson taking indefinite leave during the 2023 season as a result.
An AFL investigation launched in September 2022 found no evidence of wrongdoing against the trio, while the Federal Court case was launched after a Human Rights Commission case was terminated in May when the parties could not agree to terms.
In August 2024, an 89-page statement of claim from the players was lodged with the Federal Court, with the group seeking damages and apologies from the Hawks.
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