North Melbourne president Sonja Hood insists the AFL membership would have appointed Alastair Clarkson as coach even when that they had prior data of the racism allegations at Hawthorn.
But Hood has slammed the Hawks hierarchy of the time for not giving her a “courtesy” cellphone name in regards to the allegations earlier than an explosive ABC report made them public final September.
Clarkson, who took on the North Melbourne teaching position one month earlier, has now stepped away from his job indefinitely as he continues to cope with the fallout from the continued saga.
The 55-year-old denies any wrongdoing however is but to be formally interviewed as a part of the unbiased investigation arrange by the AFL eight months in the past.
“If I had had the opportunity to do the due diligence that we did after the allegations became public in order to understand what we were dealing with, yeah, I’d have done it (appointed Clarkson) again,” Hood advised Triple M on Thursday.
“Alastair Clarkson’s a really good person and a really good coach.
“I’m not going to presuppose the result of this course of.
“Everybody has the right to be heard and the right to have a process.
“But if we will not give folks a possibility off the premise of untested allegations, what sort of system are we in?”
Hawthorn outsourced their own investigation into racism that allegedly occurred between 2008 and 2016, during Clarkson’s 17-year rein as Hawks coach.
Hood said the Hawks had not pre-warned her about the allegations from that investigation, which came to light in grand final week last year.
“I would not have minded in the event that they’d finished it the week it turned public,” Hood mentioned.
“The first time I heard from anybody at Hawthorn was after (journalist) Russell Jackson had revealed his piece on the ABC.”
Hood recalled a meeting between the AFL and club representatives that week where it was clear something significant was happening but those involved were pretending otherwise.
“We could not work out what was occurring. We thought somebody should’ve obtained into bother on the Brownlow the evening earlier than,” Hood mentioned.
“Of course, that wasn’t what was occurring. It was this story.
“I heard about it from the AFL. I never heard about it from Hawthorn until it was in the public domain.
“I’d prefer to suppose that if that was my membership, I’d have finished the opposing membership president the courtesy of a name.”
Hood said she took a call from new Hawthorn president Andy Gowers – appointed as Jeff Kennett’s successor in December – on Thursday morning after Clarkson’s decision to take time off was announced.
“He’s one of many first those that rang me this morning,” Hood mentioned.
“I’m very grateful for that decision and for the conversations that we have had at present.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
