WITH frustrations at near-breaking point over delays in an independent panel's inquiry into racism at Hawthorn, people connected to Alastair Clarkson and Chris Fagan – the two highest-profiled officials accused of wrongdoing at the Hawks between 2008-16 – have urged for the matter to be resolved immediately.
While cognisant of the seriousness and sensitivity of the allegations levelled against the two men, now respectively coaching North Melbourne and Brisbane, the Clarkson and Fagan camps have become furious that neither person has given their version of events in two inquiries into the matter – a Hawthorn Football Club investigation and an AFL-commissioned inquiry steered by four independent experts.
North Melbourne president Sonja Hood on Wednesday night said she was one of very few people who had sought Clarkson's response to the allegations, which are among the most serious ever levelled against an AFL-connected person in the history of the game.
"I can't comment on any of this, but I will say that unlike almost everybody in this process, I have the advantage of having heard Clarko's story," Hood exclusively told AFL.com.au.
"He sat in front of our board and executive last year as part of our due diligence, which was part of him starting his employment. We needed to hear his story."
Clarkson, a four-time premiership coach at Hawthorn, stood down from his role at North Melbourne before he had even started that job, after the allegations were aired in an ABC report in Grand Final week last year.
North reinstated him soon after questioning him internally. Fagan also stood down inside 24 hours of the public airing of the allegations, and he too resumed his role weeks later.
AFL.com.au believes officials from North Melbourne and Brisbane, as well as other people connected to Clarkson and Fagan, have in the past month urged the AFL – via its independent panel – to urgently provide a forum for the two to present their cases as the matter has been taking a severe toll on their mental health.
It is known that the common theme of their frustrations revolves around the independent panel being established last October with the express purpose to provide a process for all parties to be heard – those making the allegations and those alleged of the wrongdoing.
In announcing the establishment of the independent panel last October, the AFL said it would seek a conclusion to the matter by December.
Clarkson and Fagan, as of Wednesday, have not had their stories heard formally.
Several legal skirmishes attached to the independent panel's inquiries have broken out recently, including disagreements over access to Hawthorn Football Club player files, as well as dates and subject matter of emails sent between Hawks officials relating to their inquiry.
A report in The Age on Wednesday night detailed an impasse between Clarkson, Fagan and former Hawthorn welfare manager Jason Burt, and the First Nations players and families over the release of private documents.
The independent panel said in a statement released to The Age that the three former Hawk officials had asked for documents from Hawthorn and would not be interviewed until they had the information they had requested. The First Nations players and their families have not agreed to those documents being released, the panel said.
Hawthorn had referred the contents of its inquiry to the AFL before the ABC aired its report on September 21 last year.
The Hawks' inquiry had not put the allegations of mistreatment by Hawthorn officials of Hawks' First Nations players to either Clarkson or Fagan.
The AFL has said it would publicly release the findings of the independent panel.