Coach Alastair Clarkson IV - HFC Racism Investigation Discussion

[DuckYeah]

I'm not sure if you're agreeing or disagreeing.

Not disagreeing

 

[KekiRoo]

That sounds like a lot of documents... especially if compared with, say, Esserdon ten or so years back when the best they could muster was a photo of a bottle with what appeared to be a home-made label stating that the contents were the good thymosin.

Don't forget the spreadsheet.

 

[giantroo]

Alastair Clarkson’s relationship with the Hawthorn football club is broken into a million pieces, never to be put back together.

So many senior coaches have been marched out the door with steam coming from their ears only to find it within themselves to eventually reconnect with the club that made them famous.

Yet in this murky, never-ending process into First Nations racism allegations where the only winners are the lawyers billing by the hour, this much is certain.

Four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson will never forgive Hawthorn, no matter how the next six months plays out.

No matter how many premierships he won for this club and the millions they paid him.

In his quiet moment, as he seethes and rails at what he sees as the injustice of it all, he would believe the next time he sees some of those senior leaders who commissioned the cultural safety report is when he has his day in court seeking damages.

Clarkson’s relationship with Hawthorn appears forever broken. (Photo by Chris Hyde

Chris Hyde

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42

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Last 5

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6.4

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2.1

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5.4

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3.4

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This relationship is irrevocably damaged, which Clarkson laid bare in an emotional press conference which confirmed what friends have suspected for some time — he is struggling badly with the toil of this never-ending investigation.

The fallout can be seen in matters both trivial and consequential.

When the Hawthorn players who he has helped turn into future Hall of Famers organised a get-together on Easter Monday to celebrate their “Kennett Curse” battles with Geelong, Clarkson had one question.

Is it an official Hawthorn function?

It wasn’t, so Clarkson came and had a great time.

Those same players had hoped Clarkson might attend this year’s 10-year reunion of the 2013 premiership later this season.

Alastair Clarkson and Luke Hodge lift the 2013 premiership cup. (AAP Image/David Crosling)

But they now realise that won’t happen, with officials implicated in the investigation unlikely to front up either.

It means that those past players are already planning an informal ‘rebel’ event so those not prepared to attend anything that has a whiff of official Hawthorn FC can find a way to commemorate the first in a three-peat of flags.

Clarkson fumed at Arden Street about the lack of investigation into the process which saw the cultural safety report commissioned without his input then almost immediately leaked.

But in truth it is explicitly one of the topics under the official terms of reference.

And it might result in the loss of draft picks, as presidential hopeful Peter Nankivell told the Herald Sun last November.

Chris Fagan and Alastair Clarkson during their time at the Hawks. Picture: Colleen Petch.

“If there is fault and or policies have been breached and there are sanctions, we are acutely aware of that. I think the board is charged with being responsible for the good governance and conduct of the football club at a point in time, and if there are legacy issues or historical issues where we have been at fault then we are responsible.”

It is not out of the range of possibilities that Hawthorn could be stripped of the No. 1 overall pick, but given the total lack of progress in seven months how likely that is would be anyone’s guess.

​

Clarkson might attend this month’s mediation if only to move on the process but will make no admissions of concessions.

An investigation that has stalled at every turn hasn’t even got remotely close to apportioning guilt — or blame — but has already ripped apart any bond that remained between the winningest coach of the 21st century and the Hawthorn football club

 

[travelli]

Kennett now wants it closed down.


‘Close it down now’: Kennett wants racism probe abandoned

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/news/jeff-kennett-wants-hawthorn-racism-probe-to-be-abandoned/news-story/c6c8d98fd69918db7dc4cdac07960838

Hawthorn racism: Jeff Kennett says he wants racism probe shut down
www.heraldsun.com.au

Former Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett has called for the immediate termination of the AFL’s “disastrous” independent investigation into allegations of racism at the club.

Kennett said the league’s eight-month probe led by Bernard Quinn KC had descended into “farce”and become “a lawyers picnic”.

He believes the claims made against former Hawks officials Alastair Clarkson, Chris Fagan and Jason Burt by past First Nations players must now be “tested properly” in a court of law.

Speaking as a “concerned Hawthorn member”, Kennett declared “there is no way the AFL, the Hawthorn Football Club or any individual should at this stage be paying any compensation to anyone” until all parties had been given the chance to have their say in court.

“The panel has failed. It is going nowhere. To my dear friends Richard Goyder and Gill McLachlan, I say close it down – close it down now,” Kennett said.

“The inquiry was never going to work because it didn’t have the powers of a court, it wasn’t a royal commission, it wasn’t a judicial inquiry.

“It has turned out to be an absolute disaster for those who have made the complaints and for those who have been accused through the story telling …


Jeff Kennett believes the investigation should be shut down. Picture: Jason Edwards
“You have lawyers representing the AFL, the club, the players who have made the accusations, those who have been accused – and now you have lawyers appointed by the four-man inquiry panel and lawyers appointed to handle the mediation.”

Kennett said “the first great failing” of the process came with the leaking of the allegations to the ABC last September.

“Otherwise there could have been a process that dealt with this respectfully and legally,” Kennett said.

The “second major error” came on Wednesday night when Mr Quinn publicly released a statement explaining the reasons for its stalled investigation, Kennett said.

“Like the leaking of some of the elements of the inquiry that Phil Egan did, the statement was released to one journalist only and not to the community,” he said.

“And the details within the chairman’s release were a fundamental admittance of total failure on their behalf.

“This inquiry should be wound up by the AFL commission immediately. The accusations being made must now be properly adjudicated on – and that can only happen in a court of law.

“The courts will decide by jury or by judge whether the accusations are with substance or without.”

The former Victorian premier said he did not understand how mediation could be held “if the facts have not been determined”.

“There is no way, in my opinion, that mediation is going to achieve a thing,” Kennett said.

He said Fagan and Burt were quality men.

“In terms of Clarko, I will say this – he has an electric personality,” Kennett said.

“I have seen him explode on many occasions against non-indigenous individuals and if it is said that he made these remarks, the one thing I will say about him is, I don’t believe they were made racially at all.

“They would have been made as part of Clarko’s personality, which was a bit like a latent volcano, which explodes from time to time.

“If people want to judge him for making the comments at all, that’s a different matter, but they should take that to court and have the evidence tested properly …

“Hawthorn is a safe workplace, it has been for years, but it’s a big workplace and if anyone has overstepped the mark, I for one want to know about it.

“But it is not good enough for people to make accusations and then not be prepared to have those accusations tested.

“The four-man inquiry was set up as a result of the AFL wishing to be seen to be doing something quickly, but they didn’t give thought to the fact that the inquiry has no real powers at all.

“Compensation should only be paid when the facts are known – and the facts and the claims have not been contested.


“And if people are not prepared to have the matters tested in a court of law, their accusations fail and no compensation should be paid.

“The very fact that the lawyers representing some of the families have made 18 demands of those they have accused – without establishing the facts – only reinforces that this inquiry is a failure, expensive, going nowhere and should be closed down immediately.”

Here we go.

If it goes to court, it won't be about clarko the racist, it will more be about clarko the all round sh!t bloke.

 

[Passmore]

The Hawf fans have turned on him.

 

[LB2Snake]

The Hawf fans have turned on him.

Turned on Clarko or Kennett?

 

[Jay-Z]

Bolte?

For a second I went "yeah Andrew Bolt is probably the biggest dick head to Grace the earth but leadership... Oh wait, you mean Bolte not Bolt"

 

[DarkPhoenix]

The Hawf fans have turned on him.

Couple of them referring to him being unhinged or going off.

They clearly only read the quotes and didn't watch the footage, he was clearly devastated and hurt when you actually listen to him.

 

[the big lebowski]

Couple of them referring to him being unhinged or going off.

They clearly only read the quotes and didn't watch the footage, he was clearly devastated and hurt when you actually listen to him.

Yeah I keep reading he “exploded” in the presser. If you consider speaking softly in a monotone voice “exploding” then I guess he did.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Yeah I keep reading he “exploded” in the presser. If you consider speaking softly in a monotone voice “exploding” then I guess he did.

Exploding isn’t a strong enough term.

To my eye, he spontaneously combusted.

 

[JGreezy]

The Hawf fans have turned on him.

Weren't some hawks mods already leading the charge against him in the MB thread?

 

[the big lebowski]

Exploding isn’t a strong enough term.

To my eye, he spontaneously combusted.

The journo’s wore clarko home

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

The Hawf fans have turned on him.

Their time will come.

 

[see see]

I love how Jeff refers to it as a "lawyers' picnic" and in the very next breath suggests that all of this needs to be tested properly in a court of law.

Solid logic, the lawyers will totally back off if that's the case.

 

[Passmore]

Weren't some hawks mods already leading the charge against him in the MB thread?

Don’t venture there.

 

[Passmore]

Turned on Clarko or Kennett?

Clarko.

 

[Disco Dew]

Their time will come.

 

[Val Keating]

The same reason no AFL journos talked about The Boys Club when it was released. The AFL threatens thei AFL credentials if they go to hard, and Kennetts in the boys club.

This.

 

[justroyal]

I’m so confused.
I just assume if hawthorn are found negligent - perhaps the microscope would be under clarkson.

So is he angry about how it was historically handled or the recent handlings?

 

[Kimbo]

Clarko said 'Hawthorn Football Club' but, I'm assuming that's code for 'Jeff Kennett'.
And, like a good 'dog whistle' it worked, as the dog heard the call and has already started barking.

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

Clarko said 'Hawthorn Football Club' but, I'm assuming that's code for 'Jeff Kennett'.
And, like a good 'dog whistle' it worked, as the dog heard the call and has already started barking.

 

[Danni_Benson]

The Hawf fans have turned on him.

Turning on the bloke who won them four flags. Nice one……

Revolting by the Hawks, as a club, the way they’ve handled this for all involved.

 

[Ashley B]

Haven't paid as much attention to this as many but from afar can't help thinking theres a bit of Tango and Cash about this thing.

 

[r_boy]

Clarko said 'Hawthorn Football Club' but, I'm assuming that's code for 'Jeff Kennett'.
And, like a good 'dog whistle' it worked, as the dog heard the call and has already started barking.

It's ridiculous no one is calling Jeff Kennett out at this point in the media.

He sanctioned this god damn report or investigation or whatever the s*** it is.

He's also the only one publicly accused of anything untoward by the Rioli's and has a collection of Golliwogs.

The investigation (he sanctioned) omits his tenure at the club.

And now he wants to shut the whole thing down? Are you joking? F*** this bloke.

 

[Val Keating]

Yeah I keep reading he “exploded” in the presser. If you consider speaking softly in a monotone voice “exploding” then I guess he did.

They’re reinforcing Jeff’s claim that Alistair is an etectrive (sic) person, or a sleeping volcano.

Jeff is just trying to steer the narrative away from himself and Hawthorn and back onto Clarko, honestly, would I be giving the former premier to much of a compliment if I suggested he was waiting for this?