"Anger resonates through me": AFL rocked by accusations of historical racial abuse
<p><em><strong>Warning: This article contains distressing content which some readers may find confronting.</strong></em></p>
<p>A damning report has exposed alleged racism, bullying and abuse within the Hawthorn AFL club, with several players coming forward and sharing their devastating stories of trauma during their time as part of the team.</p>
<p>In the report conducted by <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-21/alastair-clarkson-and-chris-fagan-named-in-hawks-review/101452320" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC Sport</a>, coaches Alastair Clarkson and Chris Fagan were named among a group of AFL leaders for allegedly encouraging an Indigenous player to convince his partner to terminate their pregnancy and then split from her, for the sake of the player's career.</p>
<p>The report initially began as an investigation into the club's treatment of Indigenous players, and quickly unearthed a much greater issue within the club.</p>
<p>An unidentified player, who was allegedly told to encourage his partner to terminate a pregnancy, claimed it was Clarkson who “leaned over me and demanded that I needed to get rid of my unborn child and my partner”.</p>
<p>“I was then manipulated and convinced to remove my SIM card from my phone, so there was no further contact between my family and me,” the footballer told the ABC.</p>
<p>“He told me to kill my unborn kid.”</p>
<p>The player was then allegedly moved from his home, which he shared with his partner and child, prompting a series of suicide attempts from the player.</p>
<p>“They broke me as a man, a footballer and as a family man,” he told the ABC.</p>
<p>In a similar instance, another player was allegedly forced to live away from his partner and newborn child for months at a time, which triggered a "mental health crisis" for the recent draftee, who also attempted suicide five times.</p>
<p>A third player also came forward against the club, saying Clarkson and Fagan allegedly came to his house at night to relocate him from his pregnant partner, whom he was then unable to contact.</p>
<p>When his partner unfortunately miscarried weeks later, he was informed by the coaches at a training session “in a ‘by the way’ kind of comment”.</p>
<p>Following the publishing of the damning report, Hawthorn responded to the allegations in a lengthy statement.</p>
<p>“The club places the best interests and welfare of our players and staff as our number one priority," the statement read.</p>
<p>It went on to say further investigation is required into the historical allegations, and further First Nations training and development programs "should be strengthened".</p>
<p>“Given the matters raised are confidential, the club will not provide any further comment at this time,” the statement concludes.</p>
<p>The AFL also released a statement, declaring the re-investigation of the claims.</p>
<p>“The AFL is committed to providing a safe, welcoming and culturally appropriate environment for all players and staff throughout the industry, ensuring that physical, mental and emotional welfare is a key priority for all in our sport,” it said.</p>
<p>“The experiences outlined in the document are extremely serious and require further and full examination."</p>
<p>“We are committed to the welfare of all involved. Once we have spoken to those who have shared their experiences, we will be able to provide an update on the next steps in the investigation.”</p>
<p>After hearing the findings of the report, sports commentators around Australia chimed in, with Indigenous football media personality Shelley Ware writing “anger resonates through me”.</p>
<p>“I will be watching for what happens next for Clarkson, Fagan and Burt closely as I have my wishes,” she posted in a comment online.</p>
<p>Australian journalist Alan Sunderland wrote, “The ramifications of this story can and should go far beyond just Hawthorn", while The ABC’s Penny Timms wrote, “This is beyond horrific. Action must be taken against those responsible”.</p>
<p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>
