The independent panel investigating claims of racism at Hawthorn has spoken for the first time, revealing what is delaying the probe – and when mediation could finally occur.
On Wednesday night The Age’s Jake Niall published a statement from panel chairman Bernard Quinn which revealed former Hawks officials Alastair Clarkson, Chris Fagan and Jason Burt were unwilling to be interviewed until they received certain private documents.
But the First Nations ex-players and partners were unwilling to hand over those documents because they “contain personal, sensitive or private information protected from disclosure by relevant privacy and related laws”.
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“The panel was recently informed by these participants that they do not agree to the provision of any of these documents to any other participants prior to mediation,” Quinn said.
“This objection was made on the basis that the production of documents at this time prejudices the prospects of successful mediation.
“Documents provided to the panel which are not subject to privacy concerns have been provided to relevant participants.”
The report stated Clarkson, Fagan and Burt have not asked to be interviewed by the panel and were unwilling to do “before they had received relevant documents and had an opportunity to consider them in the preparation of written statements responding to any allegations against them”.
The trio have denied all allegations made against them.
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The Hawks are expected to finish “production” of a remarkable 37,000 documents “within a couple of days” for the investigation, according to the panel chairman.
“To date, significant progress has been made, although not always at the pace that we, or the various stakeholders, would prefer,” Quinn said, having received and analysed 20 statements of evidence and also conducted interviews with “multiple participants”.
The AFL has engaged John Middleton, a former federal court judge who presided over the 2014 Essendon drug case, to help mediate while the panel had appointed barrister, Kate Eastman SC and former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda as co-mediators.
The panel has proposed mediation take place in Adelaide on May 23 – three days after Clarkson’s North Melbourne and Fagan’s Brisbane play their Round 10 matches.
Quinn also said reports 18 demands had been made by the ex-players were inaccurate.
