‘Cuts a little bit deeper’: Former Hawthorn champion Jordan Lewis speaks after bombshell letter unveiled
Former Hawthorn footballer Jordan Lewis says it was “tough to read” the bombshell open letter from his ex-Hawks teammates.
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Former Hawthorn star Jordan Lewis says it was “tough to read” the bombshell open letter from ex-Hawks teammates as the families involved in the club’s racism investigation take their case to the Human Rights Commission.
On Friday, Hawthorn champion Cyril Rioli and wife Shannyn Ahsam-Rioli were joined by ex-Hawks Carl Peterson and Jermaine Miller-Lewis, along with Jermaine’s wife Montanah and the club’s former Indigenous manager Leon Egan, in describing the investigation as a “public s***show” – one they promises would end in the Federal Court if their complaints are not heard.
The families wanted to correct misunderstandings circulating about the racism investigation, stating they never asked for money – rather they just wanted a “sit with the coaches and officials we looked up to” to share their stories.
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“We are some of the Indigenous families who endured racism at the Hawthorn Football Club,” the joint open letter read.
“We were separated from our families.
“We were told an unborn child would ruin our futures.
“We were treated as special projects and control of our lives was taken from us.
“We told our truths in confidence, because we believed that it would bring change.
“And because we needed to heal and move on.
“That confidence was betrayed.”
Speaking on Fox Footy on Friday, four-time Hawthorn champion Lewis, who played alongside Rioli and Peterson, hoped both parties reached some sort of resolution in the near future.
“It was tough to read for anyone,” Lewis said.
“Knowing the person, it probably cuts a little bit deeper.
“His experience (Rioli) is not as good as I would have imagined it to be.
“Those guys have been named now so they’ll go through due process.
“Hopefully sometime in the near future get a resolution for everybody.
“They want people to speak openly and hear two sides to the story, give some context on everything that’s gone on.
“I think it’s not only great for the other party but certainly Cyril and those people to now not have to hide behind aliases.”
However, Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph revealed the mediation process may take “a significant period of time”.
“What happens next … Justin Quill tells me the Human Rights Commission is all about conciliation, it’s all about mediation. It’s not about penalties or damage or forced apologies. He says though this process can take two years,” Ralph told Fox Footy.
“So certainly the closure that some people are looking for on both sides is going to be very hard-fought and certainly take a significant period of time.”
AFL legend Leigh Matthews speculated that because of how the Hawthorn racism investigation scandal has played out in the media, the best outcome is “forced mediation”.
“If they actually sent this letter or had this point of view back last September before it all just got out of control, a mediation or a consultant to talk it through may have been possible,” Matthews told 3AW Football.
“But as soon as that ABC article popped up, it all went out the door. Mediation might still happen now because it‘s almost forced mediation.
“But now that you know, or the people have been prepared to be public the ones who‘ve got the complaints, I suspect you’d be more likely to think, ‘OK you’ve named yourself, we can talk now.’
“But while they remained anonymous, why would you bother consulting or talking to people who won’t even name themselves?”
Originally published as ‘Cuts a little bit deeper’: Former Hawthorn champion Jordan Lewis speaks after bombshell letter unveiled
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