Hawthorn racism review: WorkSafe Victoria investigating the Hawks over its alleged treatment of First Nations players

Jeff Kennett has responded to news WorkSafe Victoria has launched an investigation into racism and bullying allegations at Hawthorn, and taken a swipe at players who spoke to the media.

Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett has welcomed WorkSafe Victoria’s investigation into his football club and again hit out at the Indigenous players who publicly named senior figures in their allegations of bullying and intimidation.

The Herald Sun revealed WorkSafe inspectors would on Monday visit the Hawks and had already seized a range of materials in the fallout to the club’s cultural safety review.

It‘s understood that material is likely to include Hawthorn’s systems and processes around workplace culture, bullying and discrimination.

Kennett expected WorkSafe would be “very impressed” ahead of Monday‘s meeting with Hawthorn’s general manager of legal, risk and integrity Nick Holland.

“I’m not worried about (WorkSafe) at all. That’s just part of the process and they’re entitled to come in and have a look,” Kennett said on Sunday.

“As I said, this same survey said that we are a culturally safe, sound workplace. Now that’s been the case over the last five years.

“I guess these incidents, I’m not quite sure when they occurred, but somewhere between six and 12 years ago, so it’s got a long tail.

“That doesn’t mean you excuse it, it doesn’t mean you don’t deal with it. But I’m very happy to work with WorkSafe Victoria, and I’m quite sure when they complete their report, they will be, I would suspect, very impressed by the processes that we have in place.”

Worksafe is investigating claims of racism and bullying at Hawthorn. Picture: David Caird.

While WorkSafe Victoria has already held multiple virtual meetings with the Hawks, the AFL has not yet appointed its external four-person panel to investigate the disturbing claims.

That panel is certain to include gender and cultural diversity and is expected to be named in the next 48 hours – about two weeks after the ABC first reported the allegations.

The league spent the weekend consulting with various parties to locate the right mix of skills, a complex task given they are all seemingly after something slightly different.

AFL Players‘ Association boss Paul Marsh said the AFL had a “conflict of interest”, highlighted by the fact AFL commissioner Andrew Newbold was Hawthorn president from 2012 to 2016.

“I don‘t know how the AFL sits in judgment of this,” Marsh said.

The AFL Coaches‘ Association said last week: “(We are) urging the AFL to expedite the investigation into historical interactions between former Hawthorn Football Club coaches and Indigenous players to ensure the coaching figures at the centre of the claims are afforded natural justice given the ongoing media coverage of the issue”.

North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson and Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan are sidelined but have vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

While the AFL has a need for speed, it is also determined to appoint the right panel.

President Jeff Kennett speaks at Hawthorn’s best-and-fairest event. Picture: Ian Currie

Kennett spoke out against the Indigenous players who went public at Hawthorn’s best-and-fairest on Saturday night, and reiterated that point on Sunday.

“The AFL has a process in place that could have resolved this confidentially and in the interests of all parties,” Kennett said on 3AW.

“But the families, who have been involved themselves in a confidential process, went and spoke to the ABC and sadly having asked for, and we respected the confidentiality of them and their names, they then went and named those they had grievances with, and that took the process to a different level.

“I’m still hopeful that all the parties will realise it’s in their interests to do this as quickly as possible so that everyone can get on with their lives.

“I was dumbfounded by what I read in their stories, and I’m saddened by them, but they are at this stage allegations.”

Worksafe opens probe into Hawthorn claims

Hawthorn is under investigation from WorkSafe Victoria over its alleged treatment of First Nations players.

The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal that inspectors for the workplace health and safety regulator will attend the club’s Waverley Park headquarters on Monday to ramp up its inquiries on the back of the club’s internal racism review.

It’s understood WorkSafe Victoria has already seized a range of materials from the Hawks in recent virtual meetings.

On Monday, they will sit down with Hawthorn powerbrokers including the club’s general manager of legal, risk and integrity Nick Holland.

“WorkSafe has commenced investigating the recent allegations relating to the Hawthorn Football Club,” WorkSafe’s executive director of health and safety Dr Narelle Beer told the Sunday Herald Sun.

“WorkSafe is urging anyone who experienced or witnessed health and safety concerns at Hawthorn Football Club to contact WorkSafe to make a statement.

Hawthorn is under investigation from WorkSafe Victoria.

“Every Victorian worker, no matter their cultural background, has the right to a healthy and safe workplace.

“WorkSafe takes allegations of workplace bullying and discrimination very seriously and can take enforcement action when employers fail to protect the mental health of those in their workplace.”

It’s understood the Hawks are expecting the visit on Monday.

WorkSafe’s investigation will run separately to the AFL’s looming external probe into the disturbing claims that have seen coaches Alastair Clarkson (North Melbourne) and Chris Fagan (Brisbane Lions) stand aside.

Clarkson and Fagan have both denied any wrongdoing.

It’s understood Hawthorn’s review, authored by Phil Egan, was not among the documents that have already been handed over to WorkSafe Victoria.

That review revealed allegations from players and their partners that claimed they had been subjected to “bullying and intimidation tactics … used to isolate First Nations players from their families and communities”.

Alastair Clarkson during his time as Hawthorn coach.

The Herald Sun revealed last week that the complainants who have already told their harrowing stories twice have deep reservations about being involved in an official investigation.

AFL Players’ Association boss Paul Marsh said on Thursday he did not believe the AFL should be overseeing the appointment of the panel that will investigate the explosive claims.

Marsh accused the league of being “conflicted” and called for “the right process” to be implemented to ensure stability and fairness for all.

“This is not a tribunal hearing,” Marsh said.

“This is actually something where there are people within the industry, including an AFL commissioner (Andrew Newbold), who there are accusations about.

“What we and the players want here is that it’s an independent, robust process.”

The revelation that WorkSafe Victoria has launched its own investigation into the Hawks could alleviate some of the complainant’s concerns about speaking again because they would be speaking to an independent statutory authority.

WorkSafe Victoria is responsible for enforcing the Occupational Health and Safety Act in Victorian workplaces.

All employers have a duty under the OHS Act to provide a physically and mentally safe workplace for both their own workers and other people in the workplace.

Action taken when employers fall short of their obligations could include issuing improvement or prohibition notices or undertaking a comprehensive investigation to consider potential prosecution action.