Hawks, Indigenous players settle Federal Court case
The Hawthorn racism scandal has ended after the AFL club settled their Federal Court case with Indigenous former players and their families, and apologised to the group for their experiences.
The club and players released a joint statement on Wednesday night, confirming the settlement after two days of mediation this week.
The statement specified the settlement was reached “without determination of any parties’ allegations”.
“Hawthorn accepts that the allegations were made in good faith, and has heard, respects, and accepts that they represent their truths,” part of the statement said.
“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.”
The settlement brings to an end a scandal that has lasted more than two years.
Racism allegations against the club and its former coach Alastair Clarkson, his former assistant Chris Fagan and former welfare manager Jason Burt were first aired publicly in September 2022.
Clarkson, Fagan and Burt have all strenuously denied any wrongdoing since then, while an AFL investigation found no adverse findings against the trio in May last year.
AFL premiership star Cyril Rioli was the lead applicant in a statement of claim lodged in the Federal Court in July alongside his wife Shannyn Ah Sam-Rioli, former players Carl Peterson and Jermaine Miller-Lewis, his partner Montanah-Rae Lewis, and Hawthorn’s former Indigenous liaison officer Leon Egan.
The claim included allegations of unlawful discrimination, including family separations and pressuring a pregnancy termination.
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