Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has taken a leave of absence after the AFL announced it would investigate allegations surrounding past treatment of First Nations players and their partners by Hawthorn.
In an extensive piece published on the ABC website, three Indigenous players detailed incidents allegedly involving ex-Hawks staffers and the pain the players and their families had consequently suffered during their time on Hawthorn’s list.
The report also alleged some of the club staff involved were Fagan and Alastair Clarkson — the recently-appointed North Melbourne coach that guided Hawthorn to four premierships.
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AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan on Wednesday announced the league would commission a four-person external group, led by an eminent King’s Counsel, to investigate the allegations. The panel will be “appropriately skills-based, have the right mix of diversity and an approach that prioritises cultural safety for all those who have shared their experiences”, McLachlan said.
Before being appointed Brisbane head coach in 2016, Fagan was at Hawthorn for eight years where he was the club’s head of development then football boss from 2013.
In a statement, the club confirmed Fagan had stood down pending the investigation that he “supports and welcomes”.
“He was not consulted during the Hawthorn sponsored review and looks forward to the opportunity to be heard as part of the AFL investigation,” the Brisbane statement read.
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“The Brisbane Lions and Chris have mutually agreed that he will take a leave of absence from the club so he can fully co-operate in the investigation.
“As the matters are now with the AFL Integrity Unit, the Brisbane Lions won’t make any further comment at this stage.”
The Herald Sun reported Fagan had been left “devastated and blindsided” by the allegations, saying he had no knowledge of the meetings that were alleged by former Hawthorn Indigenous players.
The Lions were eliminated from the AFL finals series last week when they suffered a 71-point defeat to Geelong in the preliminary final.
Fagan is contracted at the Lions through to the end of 2023.
McLachlan on Wednesday morning confirmed he’d read the report, but admitted further details in the ABC story were a “challenging, harrowing and disturbing read” and not in the Hawks-commissioned report.
However McLachlan insisted the report would remain confidential.
