A leading journalist believes the fallout from the accusations levelled at Hawthorn will see two coaches miss the start of next season.
Damien Barrett believes the time frame surrounding the investigation into the allegations brought up in an external review by the Hawthorn Football Club will take a substantially longer time than the two months stated by AFL boss Gillon McLachlan.
An external review of the Club reportedly found key figures at the Hawks were responsible for the shocking mistreatment of the club’s players, who were Indigenous.
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ABC Sport reported the review alleges senior staff at Hawthorn demanded the separation of First Nations players from their partners and pressured one player and his partner to terminate a pregnancy for the sake of his career.
Other players allege they were made to remove SIM cards from their phones and replace them with new ones in an attempt to cut them off from their partners and make them focus on their football careers.
The external review alleges four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson and former assistant Chris Fagan, who is now the coach of the Brisbane Lions, were involved in some of the cases.
Both Clarkson and Fagan have stepped aside from their respective roles as the investigation plays out. They have both strongly denied any wrongdoing.
McLachlan announced an independent four-person panel would be put together to investigate the accusations and said the process would take around two months.
Barrett however believes that time frame is wishful thinking with both Clarkson and Fagan taking on legal help to clear their names.
The veteran journalist believes the two current AFL coaches won’t be at the helm when the 2023 season gets underway.
“There’s extraordinarily complex layers to it, Hutchy,” Barrett said on his podcast The Sounding Board.
“We had first crack at it on the day it dropped didn’t we when we had our outside broadcast at The George Hotel.
“But ultimately nothing has changed from what we said on that afternoon and that was that this is not going to be wrapped up in a quick time frame.
“Gillon McLachlan on that day said he was hopeful within 24 hours of appointing and naming a four-person panel to investigate it. Now here we are on this Tuesday morning, nearly a week after the story did break and we haven’t had an announcement on that panel.
“We also now know too Hutchy that there will be representation of a management nature of the two main players in this and they being the accused Chris Fagan and Alastair Clarkson.
“They’ve gone their separate ways with legal representation of a kings council nature and as we know when a kings council and other lawyers get involved, nothing ever happens quickly.
“You’ve got the commitment to due process, the commitment to natural justice and you’ve got the other clash commitment of lets wrap it up quickly.
“None of this marries up in a time frame that to me has Chris Fagan or Alastair Clarkson coaching their football clubs anytime soon.
“Now they’ve both stood down from their contracts, I can’t see where they are allowed to walk back into their clubs before Christmas because in my eyes this will not be wrapped up by then.
“And then if you want to just let your mind wander a little bit with what happened with legalities and natural justice and the right and the need to get to the bottom of it and to have everyone to have an equal and confident say in what’s happened … I can’t see them being back at their clubs by round 1 next season as a starting point and that’s before a decision is made by this four-person panel which may be adverse in so many ways.
“Again, that’s the speculative part in all this, I’m just telling you now what I’m observing from a time component to this.
“I think we’ve not just got Essendon Footy Club right now needing to appoint a coach for 2023, but we’ve also got two other clubs who I know now are thinking ‘what is the plan b?’”.
The AFL Coaches’ Association has called on the league to add a former coach or at least a “well-credentialed current or former football administrator” to be part of the panel investigating shocking allegations levelled at Clarkson and Fagan.
AFLCA chief executive Alistair Nicholson said it would be a good idea to potentially have a former coach involved.
“Football clubs are unique environments. They become a second home for players and coaches are often required to be much more than just football mentors,” he said in a statement released on Monday.
“Coaches are regularly called on to provide advice and support on non-football related issues, particularly with younger players who have left home to join an AFL club.
“It would significantly enhance the investigation if someone who intimately understands that environment and has deep experience in managing the wellbeing of players was included on the panel.
“The AFLCA fully endorses the AFL’s decision to investigate the confronting allegations raised. Our thoughts are with the players and their families who have shared their stories as well as other First Nations people who have been directly or indirectly affected by the publicity around this situation.
“We also note that both Alastair Clarkson and Chris Fagan have strongly denied the allegations made. The investigation will allow both coaches to share their version of events and until that investigation is complete and due process has been followed, they should be afforded natural justice.
“The AFLCA is continuing to offer both coaches our support with a focus on their personal wellbeing.”
