Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan has a “clear conscience” about his alleged involvement within the Hawthorn racism saga and hasn’t felt the necessity to tackle Brisbane gamers on the scandal that rocked the AFL.
The full Lions squad returned to coaching on Monday beneath Fagan’s steerage on the membership’s new Springfield base, with the cloud of the AFL’s impending investigation into allegations of racism on the Hawks through the Brisbane coach’s time on the membership.
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The involvement of then Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson and Fagan, at that stage part of the Hawks’ soccer division, is a key issue within the investigation, with the pair intent on clearing their names of alleged poor therapy of First Nations gamers and their households.
Fagan fronted the media for the primary time because the revelations and stated that final Friday he signed a confidentiality settlement stopping him from discussing the investigation.
However, the veteran coach was assured he could be cleared of any wrongdoing.
“I deny the allegations backwards – I released a statement (in September) and I stand by that,” Fagan stated.
“I’ve signed a confidentiality deed poll, and I’m not going to play this out in public.
“I’m just patiently waiting for my opportunity to speak at the investigation. You’d like it to happen sooner rather than later, but I’ve just got to be patient and get on with work.”
Fagan admitted when the racism allegations in opposition to him first emerged, he was not sure “whether it was OK to walk down the street”.
“But after a while I realised you can’t live like that, so I’ve just been living normally since that point in time,” he stated.
“I’ve got a very clear conscience. They say that a clear conscience is a great sedative and I’m sleeping well.”
Fagan was equally as assured concerning the help and belief being proven in him by the Lions’ enjoying group.
“The group’s always been supportive of me regardless of the situation I found myself in,” he stated.
“They’re that sort of group. They look after each other and they look after the people who look after him, so the last few months has been no exception to that.
“I haven’t spoken to the group about it. I haven’t felt the need to do that.
“The players, I‘ve worked with them for six years, and they trust me, so there’s been no need for a conversation.”
However, Fagan stated he had spoken to some gamers individually after they had requested for a “chat” with him.
“They’re private,” he stated of his talks with sure gamers.
