‘Sheltered’ players steer clear of racism saga

‘Sheltered’ players steer clear of racism saga

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has no concept when the Hawks might be utterly away from the racism controversy surrounding the membership, however captain James Sicily says the gamers have been “sheltered” from the saga and that it hasn’t impacted them.

Mitchell was loath to speak in regards to the scenario on Thursday, a day after membership president Andy Gowers made it clear the Hawks could be dissatisfied ought to they be sanctioned within the wake of the AFL shutting down its investigation into the matter.

While the problems centred round historic governance and allegations in opposition to senior employees not on the membership, the present administration is coping with the fallout, and Hawthorn stays entrenched within the headlines.

Mitchell conceded it was laborious to flee, and didn’t know if there was an finish in sight within the close to future.

But he mentioned it’s not a central problem which these within the soccer program usually talk about, nor was it a distraction, with the membership having recording back-to-back wins in latest weeks.

“There is a lot of conversation before you get here with newspapers and (the media), but Wednesday was the players’ day off, and they come in today, and we’ve had the mid-season draft and they have two new teammates,” Mitchell mentioned.

“So within the football program, you move on quickly.

“You know there are significant things happening on the outside and not to downplay them in the slightest, but if I’m a 20 or 25-year-old young man and I’ve got two new teammates, that is the thing I would be talking about when I turn up to work.

“We had their families in, telling stories about them, so they got a few laughs out of the boys to start the day – I think young men are pretty quick to move on.”

Mitchell was requested if the membership may have dealt with this matter otherwise, however declined to remark, whereas Sicily, who will miss this Saturday’s conflict with Port Adelaide by suspension, mentioned the membership had tried laborious to maintain the gamers distanced from issues which don’t contain them.

“I feel like we have been sheltered the whole time from the investigation and the talk around it; it doesn’t really infiltrate the footy department,” he instructed RSN.

“I don’t want that to suggest there’s no alignment – we have just been sheltered by the club in that regard.”

As a frontrunner of the membership, Sicily mentioned he hoped there may but be therapeutic and that former coach Alastair Clarkson, Chris Fagan and Justin Burt, the boys in the midst of the allegations, may rebuild damaged relationships with the Hawks.

“I just hope that, on both sides, they can heal from this,” he mentioned.

“I’d hope that one day Clarko and Fages and Jason Burt can rebuild that relationship so that they feel comfortable getting involved with Hawthorn. There’s three flags they are a part of, there will be reunions.

“Hopefully it gets back to a level where they can be involved because they are a big part of the footy club.”

Originally printed as Hawthorn gamers and coach not impacted by racism scandal engulfing membership

Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au