Hawthorn president says club did right thing amid racism investigation fallout

After the AFL left the door open to sanction Hawthorn amid fallout from the racism investigation, the club has pleaded its case.

Hawthorn president Andy Gowers says he’d be extremely disappointed if the club was sanctioned after the AFL left the door open despite closing the league’s inquiry into racism allegations at the club.

Speaking on Wednesday morning, Gowers said the leak of the club’s internal investigation into its treatment of First Nations players was to blame for causing a stalemate between the parties.

On Tuesday night, AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan announced the investigation had been concluded with no adverse findings against Alastair Clarkson, Chris Fagan and Jason Burt.

Gowers said the Hawks regretted the effect the leak to the media had on preventing the trio, who all maintained their innocence throughout the prolonged investigation, being able to tell their version of events.

He emphasised that the internal Hawthorn report had come about due to a welfare check on past players and had not been planned in advance.

Hawks president Andy Gowers hoped the club would avoid sanctions. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

“It wasn‘t commissioned as a report to start, but it was a welfare check on our past First Nations players and staff … it was leaked, and that blew everything up,” Gowers said.

“We simply wanted to check in on the wellbeing of past First Nations players and staff to see if they needed any extra support. The club provided that report to AFL Integrity, not only because we are required to do so, but it was also the appropriate avenue to have the allegations tested and investigated.

“It was also our expectation that this would allow all parties to give their versions of events as Gillon said last night, the leaking of that work had a significant impact – it did not allow for a just and fair process.”

Coaches Alastair Clarkson (left) and Chris Fagan during their time at Hawthorn. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Media

Gowers said he did not know who was responsible for the leak to the media.

“I don‘t have any evidence to that fact,” he said.

“But it‘s clear that once the information was leaked, then this thing became a very big, big matter.

“And as I just explained, the process of giving everybody the opportunity to explain their version of events would hopefully have prevented this situation.”

He said there were “a number of discussions ongoing with the AFL” but hoped Hawthorn could avoid sanctions.

“Of course, we’d be extremely disappointed if this matter led to sanctions, including financial,” he said.

“But what I would say is we went into this process with the best of intentions.

“I don’t think anybody is questioning that.”

He said he understood the motivation for the families at the centre of the investigation to speak to the media but still wanted them to deal with the club.

“The families have, maybe to some degree, seen the media as a way of communicating,” Gowers said.

“We really would love the opportunity to sit with them and listen to them and give them that opportunity to speak, so as we would with the coaches and staff as well.”

Hawthorn premiership captain Luke Hodge revealed he accepted an invitation to be part of the independent investigation after the allegations were first revealed.

Hodge, who won four premierships under Clarkson, said he provided a statement in December last year.

“I felt initially the accusations didn’t match up to the three gentlemen or the culture of the football club that I knew,” he told SEN.

“I spoke to a lot of Indigenous and non-Indigenous players and they all had the same feeling.

Former Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett said the club did ‘what any organisation would do’. Picture: Ian Currie

“I felt I was in a position to answer questions … I had nothing to hide. That’s the reason I put my hand up.

“I gave the report what I’d seen through my 16 years at the football club.

“A lot of people, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, put their hands up to tell their story.”

Former Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett, who took initial allegations to the AFL before ordering a cultural review, said on Wednesday he was “convinced in my own mind that Hawthorn acted in the highest standards of governance possible”.

Kennett said he had written to the AFL commissioners to defend the club’s position and its actions, pushing back on any possible sanctions

“We did what any organisation would do,” he said.

“What did Hawthorn do wrong?

“We did whatever we could do to get answers and when we got answers, horrifying as they were, we did what we had to do - handed it over to (AFL) integrity.”

Originally published as Hawthorn president says club did right thing amid racism investigation fallout