First Nations families at centre of Hawthorn racism saga named, share powerful statement

The families at the centre of allegations of historical racism at Hawthorn have revealed their identities with a powerful statement.

Carl Peterson, Cyril Rioli and Jermaine Miller-Lewis as well as former staffer Leon Egan have been named. Photo: Getty Images

The families at the centre of the Hawthorn racism scandal have been revealed as their case heads to the Australian Human Rights commission.

A letter from the families of Cyril Rioli, Jermaine Miller-Lewis, Carl Peterson and former staffer Leon Egan have described their eight-month-long ordeal as a “public s**tshow” none of them deserved.

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“We are some of the Indigenous families who endured racism at the Hawthorn Football Club,” the letter states.

“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.”

Cyril Rioli (left) and Carl Peterson (right) while at Hawthorn.

The letter states that the parties at the centre of the allegations, including current North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson, current Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan and Jason Burt will be subject to proceedings in the Human Rights Commission to “listen to the truths that they don’t want to hear”.

Clarkson coached Hawthorn from 2004 to 2021 and won four premierships with the club, while Fagan was an assistant coach before becoming the club’s general manager of football from 2008 to 2016.

Clarkson and Fagan took leaves of absence from their respective clubs when the reports first emerged from the ABC of the allegations, and Clarkson subsequently took a second indefinite leave of absence in mid-May from North Melbourne, citing the emotional impact of the saga.

Fagan’s lawyers sent an email to the families on 28 May informing them that they intended to commence proceedings seeking an injunction against the continuation of the AFL investigation.

The AFL released a statement on Tuesday 30 May saying its investigation had terminated with the consent of the families, with no charges to be brought under the AFL Rules as a result.

Fagan said in a statement that night he stood “vindicated” by the investigation’s conclusion.

“I have made no concessions,” he said. “There are none to make.

“I have always vigorously defended myself, and will always do so, as I have done nothing wrong.”

Burt was Hawthorn’s head of player services and football administration from 2006 to 2016, and then the general manager of football after Fagan.

Clarkson and Rioli won four premierships together, with Rioli the Norm Smith Medallist in 2015. Picture: Colleen Petch.

Burt penned a statement on social media after an interview with the Nine papers in which he said he did not feel he owed any apology.

“Right now, I’ve got nothing to say sorry for,” he said in the interview.

“I can honestly say the people involved in this investigation – and the families, particularly the players – left better people, better men, for being at Hawthorn.

“I’ll never really understand what an Aboriginal person, a First Nations person, feels. That’s just common sense. I don’t know how things I may have done have been received. And I’m sad for that, and I’m sad for them.”

In the statement on social media, Burt called Hawthorn’s investigation “a disgrace”, and the first of a range of examples of “poor governance” on the club’s behalf.

“I also think it’s important to clarify that “Zac” and “Kylie”, who continue to make allegations to the media, are not Indigenous Australians,” he said.

In a response to Burt’s interview, one of the families, through their lawyer Judy Courtin, released a statement in which they expressed that they were “disgusted” at how their experiences had been represented.

“Whilst our clients are grateful to Jason Burt for acknowledging some elements of the past events, they are disgusted at how they are being downplayed, and in some instances, entirely misrepresented,” the statement reads.

“Jason’s version (of events) is completely inaccurate.”

All three have denied any wrongdoing.

The AFL resolved in its Tuesday statement that “no adverse findings (had) been made in the Independent Investigation against any of the individuals against whom allegations (had) been made”, but that it did not “preclude the AFL from bringing a charge under AFL Rules against Hawthorn FC”.

The AFL’s statement also acknowledged “each one of the Complainants feels hurt, pain and anguish following their time at Hawthorn FC.”

The group of families state in the letter that their consent to the termination of the AFL’s Independent Investigation was “not out of fear, but strength, because the AFL finally apologised to all First Nations players for racism in football.”

“They acknowledged our pain and hurt when we were at Hawthorn. They made a legally binding promise to us to combat racism in football,” they said.

“And the game will be safer for all First Nations families because of it.”

The letter states that if conciliation action in the Commission fails, that the families will pursue “the Federal Court, where we will tell our truths in the witness box.

“But they will hear us one way or another.”

Jermaine Miller-Lewis while playing for Hawthorn. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Leon Egan (second right) continued to work in football administration.

Egan, who played under-19s for the Hawks in 1988, worked as an Indigenous Advisor to Hawthorn from January 2012 to December 2015 before taking on other First Nations-focused roles at the AFL and Players’ Association.

In April 2022, he called on his former employer to “face up” to its historical problems with Indigenous players, with a previous policy preventing Indigenous players from being recruited preventing him from playing seniors during his own career.

The club’s Reconciliation Action Plan admits the club’s “resistance to recruiting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players” throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

Former Hawthorn recruiting manager John Turnbull, who drafted Noongar man Chance Bateman to the Hawks with the 48th pick in the 1999 national draft, says a senior club official at the time told him “just remember, don’t draft anyone with skin darker than mine”.

The entire text of the letter is here:

Open letter from Carl Peterson, Cyril Rioli, Shannyn Ahsam-Rioli, Jermaine and Montanah Miller-Lewis and Leon Egan

We are some of the Indigenous families who endured racism at the Hawthorn Football Club.

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.

We never asked for money.

All we ever wanted was to sit with the coaches and officials we looked up to, and who had such control over our lives and our futures, and make them understand what we heard.

What impact it had on our lives.

And to listen to them tell us their own truths – even why they thought they were helping us.

And we are gutted that these so-called AFL role models weren’t prepared to listen to our truths through mediation. We have always had the courage to listen to their truths too. That is our way.

We were never scared of being named. We were never scared of what they would throw at us. We were worried about impacts on others. It doesn’t change our truth.

None of us deserved this public s**tshow – including them.

But they have made their choice, and we will now bring them to a Human Rights Commission conciliation to listen to the truths that they don‘t want to hear. And if they still won’t listen and learn then it will end up in the Federal Court where we will tell our truths in the witness box. But they will hear us one way or another.

We also believe that with the passing of time that the Hawthorn Football Club will acknowledge that our suffering and pain was real.

We reached an agreement with the AFL not out of fear, but strength, because the AFL finally apologised to all First Nations players for racism in football.

They acknowledged our pain and hurt when we were at Hawthorn. They made a legally binding promise to us to combat racism in football. And the game will be safer for all First Nations families because of it.

These blokes who changed the course of our lives have never been exonerated by the AFL. The Panel never made any findings because it was shut down.

We previously allowed these people to use their power to control our lives. It should never happen again.

Originally published as First Nations families at centre of Hawthorn racism saga named, share powerful statement