Hawthorn racism scandal: Shocking allegations against coach Alastair Clarkson, president Jeff Kennett emerge
Three former Hawthorn players have given explosive detailed accounts of their experiences in new court documents lodged in their racism case against the club.
Cyril Rioli, who won four premierships with Hawthorn, is the lead applicant in a Federal Court case alleging he suffered distress, psychological and cultural harm, as well as loss of earnings due to widespread racism at Hawthorn.
Rioli’s 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 are co-plantiffs in the action.
Among the allegations in a statement of claim released by the Federal Court on Monday, Rioli alleges staff regularly made “culturally ignorant” remarks to him and by 2015 both he and his wife felt “culturally unsafe” at Hawthorn.
Rioli claimed that in 2017, during a trip to Alice Springs to visit his father after a heart attack, Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said: “Why do these Aboriginal people have darker skin than you?”
The document also detailed an incident in 2018 — shortly before Rioli left the club — when Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett remarked on Ms Sam-Rioli’s ripped jeans at the airport after the Indigenous round in Tasmania.
“Can’t you afford to buy thread?” Mr Kennett allegedly said, before grabbing his pocket and remarking, “I’ll give you change so you can afford to buy thread to stitch those jeans up.”
It is also alleged that a meeting called in 2015 to discuss the booing of all-time great Sydney player Adam Goodes, was derailed when Clarkson brought a guitar and sung “a song about Mr Rioli”.
Peterson — who grew up in Perth and Kununurra — claims that in 2009, Jason Burt, then head of player services and football administration manger, would question him about drugs, alcohol, his “perceived lack of financial accountability” and his relationship with Nikita Rotumah.
Peterson said the club hosted a birthday dinner for him but “did not invite his Indigenous friends”.
And when he and Ms Rotumah found out that they were pregnant again after an earlier miscarriage, it is alleged he was forced into a meeting where he was pressured to break up with Ms Rotumah and terminate the pregnancy.
It is alleged Clarkson said words to the effect: “Unless you break up with her and tell her to terminate the pregnancy, your football career will be in jeopardy”.
Peterson claims he was told he had an hour to respond.
The court documents say Peterson was left feeling “highly distressed and anxious” about what he had just been told, and felt as though he did not have an option but to comply.
About 30 minutes later, he called Ms Rotumah and ended the relationship, telling her that it was “not a good idea that she have the baby”.
Mr Burt then allegedly told Peterson he would be staying at his house and was bought a new SIM card, told that it would be best that he no longer communicate with Ms Rotumah.
“During the time he stayed at Mr Burt’s house, Mr Peterson felt that he was being locked away from the outside world and that the only interaction with others that was permitted by Hawthorn was with his teammates at training,” the statement of claim says.
Ms Rotumah did not terminate the pregnancy and the pair resumed their relationship later a few months later.
Peterson alleges that during a visit to the young family’s house the following year, Clarkson visited their home and said words to the effect: “This house is nice, you have the kids’ art work up and it’s nice and clean. You should invite your teammates over for dinner and things. For all they know you’re living in a shack in the desert somewhere,” the Hawthorn coach allegedly said.
More to come
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