Hawthorn hits back with explosive Carl Peterson claims in AFL racism row

Hawthorn has sensationally claimed alleged racism victim Carl Peterson appeared drug or alcohol affected when picked up at Melbourne Airport in a scathing defence lodged with the Federal Court on Thursday.

Carl Peterson in action for the Hawks. Picture: Colleen Petch

Hawthorn has sensationally claimed that alleged racism victim Carl Peterson was incoherent and appeared affected by drugs or alcohol when he was picked up by a club official at Melbourne Airport after a flight from Perth.

The club also rejected Peterson’s allegation that former Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson had told him in a 2009 meeting to “break up” with his partner and added “tell her to terminate the pregnancy”.

More than two years after the Hawks racism scandal broke, lawyers for the club have made a series of new claims in a scathing Federal Court document on Thursday.

After returning from Perth during the VFL mid-season break in June 2009, Hawthorn alleges Peterson was picked up at Melbourne Airport by then development coach David Flood.

In addition to being incoherent and under the influence, the documents allege Peterson told Flood he had no money in his bank account and had lost his clothing.

Alastair Clarkson and Chris Fagan during their Hawk days. Picture: Michael Willson

Peterson was delisted in October the following year after former Hawks staffer Jason Burt was allegedly informed Peterson had used marijuana in the week leading up to an elimination final in Perth.

The documents state Peterson was removed from the elimination final team and later received counselling through the AFL Players’ Association.

Hawthorn premiership legend Cyril Rioli is the lead applicant in a Federal Court action in which former Hawks figures and their partners – Shannyn Ah Sam-Rioli, Peterson, Jermaine Miller-Lewis, Montanah-Rae Lewis and Leon Egan – are seeking damages, aggravated damages and apologies from the club.

The document makes allegations against plaintiffs Jermaine Miller-Lewis, who was 18 when he was drafted as a rookie to Hawthorn in 2014, and his partner Montanah-Rae Lewis.

In December 2017, Hawthorn’s club doctor allegedly referred Miller-Lewis to a private facility, the Blackwood River Clinic, for drug rehabilitation and mental health treatment after a request by his partner for assistance.

Jermaine Miller-Lewis was 18 when he was drafted as a rookie to Hawthorn in 2014. Picture: George Salpigtidis

In July 2019, the documents state Peterson took his two sons, stepson and his partner’s young brother to Hawthorn’s training facilities where they met Clarkson.

After the visit, Hawthorn claims Peterson emailed Angela Burt, Hawthorn’s Indigenous Liaison Manager, Jeff Kennett and then CEO, Justin Reeves, thanking them for the tour.

“It was great that I could show the kids the old office and hopefully the older boys get something out of it as they are at the stage of playing rep ball and rep footy,” the email allegedly said.

“I really appreciate it and hopefully we will meet again soon.

“Thanks again my kids loved it.”

The following month, the club claims Peterson emailed Kennett requesting four tickets to a Hawthorn game in Perth which he was gifted.

In early January 2018, Miller-Lewis allegedly failed to attend his admission appointment to the clinic.

Hawthorn claims it arranged for the AFL Players Association to make hardship payments of $3000 to the couple’s rental account and $2500 to their private health insurance fund.

At Lewis’ request, the documents allege the payments were not disclosed to Miller-Lewis.

The Hawks admitted four-time premiership player Grant Birchall asked Indigenous teammate Bradley Hill if his partner was also a “boong” at the end of 2013 season.

The incident was first detailed in the players’ statement of claim, which alleged the Hawks did not take any action.

But the club claims the comment was overheard by Jarryd Roughhead, who was part of the team’s leadership and told Birchall it was offensive and totally inappropriate.

The documents state Roughhead comforted Hill and facilitated an apology from Birchall, with the incident with dealt on the spot and no further issues arising between the pair.

Hawthorn premiership legend Cyril Rioli is the lead applicant in a Federal Court action. Picture: AFL Media/Getty Images

In a statement of claim lodged in July, Rioli accused Alistair Clarkson of calling him “Humphrey B Bear” throughout his time at Hawthorn and “thereby associated Mr Rioli with a black bear and chose to publicly refer to him in that way”.

But the Hawks also allege Rioli’s claim was “an abuse of process” because of a deed of settlement he had entered with the club and league following his retirement in July 2018.

“(Rioli) unconditionally releases and discharges the Club and the AFL, their Related Entities and their associates, directors, employees, servants, shareholders, agents, assigns and insurers from all Claims,” the deed allegedly stated.

The AFL launched an “independent” inquiry into the Hawthorn racism claims in September 2022, which ended eight months later with “no adverse findings” made against Clarkson, former Hawks football boss Chris Fagan or club welfare chief Jason Burt.

Fagan was accused of “nodding his head” at the 2009 meeting in which Clarkson allegedly told Peterson to terminate his partner’s pregnancy.

Clarkson, now senior coach at North Melbourne, Fagan, this year’s premiership coach at Brisbane, and Burt have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Mediation between the players and former Hawthorn figures has failed to reach a resolution.

In May this year, the Herald Sun revealed two secret reports commissioned by the AFL into the Hawthorn racism scandal found “a startling lack of evidence” in the cases alleged against the trio.

The separate reports, authored by a retired Federal Court judge and a top city law firm, concluded that the gravest allegation – that an Indigenous player and his partner were pressured to terminate a pregnancy – could not be substantiated.

A claim that the Hawks had demanded the separation of another First Nations family for the sake of the player’s career was also considered to be “lacking in evidence”.

The two reports – one by Justice John Middleton and the other by Gordon Legal – found that there was “no basis whatsoever” to support suggestions a subculture of racism had existed at Hawthorn or that the three accused club officials had behaved in anything other than a “caring” way for their players.

The AFL Commission relied upon the reports to terminate the four-person independent investigation panel led by Bernard Quinn KC, which had failed to make any findings eight months after being established following the leaking of the Hawthorn “cultural safety review” in grand final week 2022.