Artwork by Indigenous woman Amy:‘The Dream,The Cost’.Credit:Amy,supplied by Marque Lawyers
“We acknowledge the pain,trauma and grief of the experience from ‘Amy’ in the statement,and it reinforces how serious these allegations are,and how important it is that the AFL treat them appropriately while ensuring a formal process that provides the opportunity to bring their experiences direct to the independent review in a supportive and respectful process to those impacted,and natural justice to those people against whom allegations of misconduct have been made,” the AFL said in a statement.
“The AFL can only investigate the matter under AFL rules,as that is the only jurisdiction we have the ability to determine and - as we have said previously – our process doesn’t stop any impacted person from taking separate legal action or seeking redress in another forum or jurisdiction.”
Amy was in a relationship with a Hawthorn player when she alleges the club forced the man to leave her and tell her to have an abortion.
The Gunditjmara and Bunitj woman says her only option was to refuse to participate in the process.
“We express our deep concern for the First Nations players and their families who are involved in this process – one that may as well have been consciously designed to reproduce that it is meant to be addressing,” the statement read.
“The investigation will include an examination of Phil Egan’s review and its appropriateness,yet our request that it also examine both Hawthorn and the AFL’s response to the review has been ignored.
“The scene is set to discredit the findings of the Hawthorn cultural safety review and dismiss or downplay the testimonies of First Nations players and their families.”
Clarkson,former football department chief Chris Fagan and former player development manager Jason Burt are facing allegations of racism from their time at Hawthorn,which they deny.
These arose after the Hawthorn cultural safety review,which sparked the AFL investigation,contained testimonies from former players and their partners about their time at the club. Allegations in the review,first published by the ABC,included a claim from one Indigenous player that he was told that his partner had to terminate her pregnancy.
Clarkson,who officially began as North Melbourne coach on Wednesday,said he was ready to try and clear his name.
Alastair Clarkson had his first official day as North Melbourne coach on Wednesday,but the questions he faced from the media were all about his time at Hawthorn.Credit:Simon Schluter
“We will work through that with the AFL investigation. All we do know is that there have been three or four clubs in the competition over the last 20 years that have been really,really strong clubs,really,really successful clubs,and those clubs have had magnificent cultures,and Hawthorn has been one of those,” Clarkson said at the Kangaroos’ home base at Arden St.
“So,I would be very,very surprised if we weren’t able to put a really,really strong case forward that these allegations have been reported a different way than we saw them when we were at the club.”
The four-time premiership coach said there was greater context to the allegations which have been aired.
“There is a lot more depth and history to what has transpired. We will get the chance in the investigation to outline that,” he said.
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Clarkson and Fagan,now the Brisbane coach,had taken a leave of absence when the allegations first surfaced,but the Kangaroos and Lions have agreed the two men can return to run pre-season training,while also participating in the investigation.
“That’s a decision that has been made the club and myself. At the minute,they are just allegations,and we are going to defend ourselves pretty strongly in the investigation and,like anyone in this world,until the allegations are proven,you should be able to get on and lead your life,” Clarkson said.
Amy said the review forced her to relive her own trauma,and she felt guilt over not speaking up at the time.
“It’s a little hard to speak up when it feels like your voice box has been pulled out of your throat,” she said.
But the statement said her decision not to take part in the investigation was “out of obligation not just to herself or her family,but to the First Nations players that follow,who vest their lives and trust in a game that has so little regard for them”.
Amy said:“I could either stay numb and silent,or I could find my voice and play my part in the struggle to try and create safety and protection for our young ones who would inevitable face these systems”.
Marque Lawyers managing partner Michael Bradley told ABC Melbourne the woman was struggling. He said Amy participated in the Hawks cultural review because she found out there were other First Nations people who were victimised. But that process retraumatised her,Bradley said.
The lawyer said if the AFL wanted to get to the bottom of what happened to First Nations people at the club,it would have engaged an external body to investigate.