Hawthorn Football Club hit back at explosive new claims in racism saga

Hawthorn has launched a fresh defence of racism allegations as new claims were levelled as the saga takes on a new chapter.

Hawthorn says alleged racism victim Carl Peterson was pulled from the 2010 elimination final against Fremantle after his partner informed the club he’d used marijuana during the week.

The Hawks also claim Peterson was incoherent and appeared affected by drugs or alcohol when he was picked up by a then development coach at Melbourne Airport following a flight from Perth. It also says Peterson told the man he had no money in his bank account and had lost his clothing.

And the club denies that former Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson told Peterson in a 2009 meeting to “break up” with his partner and that he told her to “terminate the pregnancy.”

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The fresh claims from Hawthorn’s legal defence in Federal Court on Thursday come two years after the Hawks’ racism scandal first emerged as part of accusations from a 2022 cultural safety review.

Former Hawthorn staffers Clarkson, Chris Fagan and Jason Burt have repeatedly denied all allegations made against them from ex-Hawks including Cyril Rioli, Peterson and others.

Former Hawk Carl Peterson (Photo by Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)

The Hawthorn defence said it recruited Peterson at the end of 2008 despite “concerns relating to his drug use and his failure of a voluntary drug test in or around that time” flagged by the club’s recruiting team.

Peterson, who was delisted at the end of 2010, lived with a host family and welfare staff including Jason Burt and David Flood until early 2009 before he moved in with his partner Nikita Rotumah.

The Hawks deny a claim from Peterson from his statement that a meeting took place with Clarkson where the four-time premiership coach said words to the effects of “unless you break up with her and tell her to terminate the pregnancy, your football career will be in jeopardy.”

Hawthorn also rejects that a meeting with the coaches occurred after Peterson informed the club Rotumah was pregnant. The club says Fagan, Burt and Clarkson first became aware the couple were expecting a baby when the player informed teammates in late July or early August.

Cyril Rioli and Carl Peterson

And thus the club says any action taken prior to that was without it being privy to Rotumah’s pregnancy.

Comments in 2018 from former Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett in 2018 to Rioli’s partner Shannyn Ah Sam-Rioli at Launceston Airport ultimately led to Rioli’s AFL retirement. Kennett has maintained the comments weren’t racially motivated.

Rioli received consideration and signed a deed of release that the Hawks say precluded him from taking Federal Court action.

Hawthorn’s legal defence claims in a meting prior to Rioli’s retirement in 2018, Ah Sam-Rioli and her brother Peter told ex-Hawks football boss Graham Wright that Hawthorn and Kennett were racist and wanted Kennett to apologise and re-sign.

It’s alleged they also wanted Hawthorn to pay more money than what was agreed in his contract.

The AFL set up a four-member panel to investigate the matter, which made no adverse findings against Clarkson, Fagan or Burt.

Earlier this year the Australian Human Rights Commission terminated a claim against Hawthorn by First Nations ex-players and their partners after the parties failed to come to a deal.

Originally published as Hawthorn Football Club hit back at explosive new claims in racism saga