Hawthorn president Andy Gowers says he’d be extraordinarily disenchanted if the membership was sanctioned after the AFL left the door open after the league’s inquiry into allegations of racism on the membership was closed.
Speaking on Wednesday morning, Gowers mentioned the leak of the membership’s inside investigation into its remedy of First Nations gamers was accountable for inflicting a stalemate between the events.
On Tuesday night time AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan introduced the investigation has been concluded with no antagonistic findings in opposition to Alastair Clarkson, Chris Fagan and Jason Burt.
Gowers mentioned the Hawks regretted the impact the leak to the media had on stopping the trio, who all maintained their innocence all through the extended investigation, having the ability to inform their model of occasions.
He emphasised that the interior Hawthorn report had come about on account of a welfare test on previous gamers and had not been deliberate prematurely.
“It wasn‘t commissioned as a report to start, but it was a welfare check on our past First Nations players and staff … it was leaked, and that blew everything up,” Gowers said.
“We simply wanted to check in on the well being of past First Nations players and staff to see if they needed any extra support, the club provided that report to AFL Integrity, not only because we are required to do so, but it was also the appropriate avenue to have the allegations tested and investigated.
“It was also our expectation that this would allow all parties to give their versions of events as Gillon said last night, the leaking of that work had a significant impact – it did not allow for a just and fair process.”
Gowers said he did not know who was responsible for the leak to the media.
“I don‘t have any evidence to that fact,” he said.
“But it‘s clear that once the information was late, then this thing became a very big, big matter.
“And as I just explained, the process of having everybody to explain their version of events would hopefully have prevented this situation.”
He said there were “a number of discussions ongoing with the AFL” but hoped Hawthorn could avoid sanctions.
“Of course, we’d be extraordinarily disenchanted if this matter led to sanctions, together with monetary,” he mentioned
“But what I would say is we went into this process with the best of intention.
“I don’t think anybody is questioning that.”
He mentioned he understood the motivation for the households on the centre of the investigation to talk to the media, however mentioned he nonetheless needed them to take care of the membership.
“The families have, maybe to some degree, seen the media as a way of communicating,” Gowers mentioned.
“We really would love the opportunity to sit with them and listen to them.
“And give them that opportunity to speak their truth. As we would with the coaches and staff as well.”
Hawthorn premiership captain Luke Hodge revealed he accepted an invite to be a part of the unbiased investigation after the allegations have been first revealed.
Hodge, who received 4 premierships beneath Clarkson, mentioned he supplied a press release in December final 12 months.
“I felt initially the accusations didn’t match up to the three gentlemen or the culture of the football club that I knew,” he advised SEN.
“I spoke to a lot of indigenous and non-indigenous players and they all had the same feeling.
“I felt I was in a position to answer questions … I had nothing to hide. That’s the reason I put my hand up.
“I gave the report what I’d seen through my 16 years at the football club.
“A lot of people, indigenous and non-indigenous, put their hands up to tell their story.”
Former Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett, who took preliminary allegations to the AFL earlier than ordering a cultural evaluate, mentioned on Wednesday he was “convinced in my own mind that Hawthorn acted in the highest standards of governance possible”.
Kennett mentioned he had written to the AFL Commissioners to defend the place of the membership and its actions pushing again on any attainable sanctions
“We did what any organisation would do. What did Hawthorn do wrong ?”
“We did whatever we could do to get answers and when we got answers, horrifying as they were, we did what we had to do, handed it over to (AFL) integrity.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
