CHRIS Fagan says he's frustrated and feels his name has been slandered as the Hawthorn racism investigation nears eight months.
A day after Alastair Clarkson described the Hawks handling of the process as "shameful", Fagan was more circumspect at his weekly press conference, but empathised with his former colleague.
"I'm a little bit frustrated too," Fagan said on Friday morning.
"I can understand completely where he's coming from.
"This investigation has been going on for eight months now and we haven't had a chance to tell our truth, but every week we have to put up with articles being written about it and our names being, almost slandered to some degree.
"That becomes difficult, so I understand where he's coming from."
Fagan said he was hopeful of getting an opportunity to tell his side of the story to the investigation shortly – something he, Clarkson and Jason Burt have not been afforded yet.
The accusations of mistreatment towards First Nations people at Hawthorn when Fagan and Clarkson worked there surfaced just prior to last year's Grand Final.
All deny any wrongdoing.
Fagan issued a statement via his lawyer earlier in the week, while the chair of the independent panel investigating the claims, Bernard Quinn KC, released details of the process to the media on Wednesday.
Brisbane's coach said despite the frustration he was personally doing well.
"The thing about it is I have a clear conscience, so I'm sleeping well at night," he said.
"They're the only bits I can control.
"Hopefully things can be sorted out in the most fair and just way somewhere down the track, I'm just not sure when that'll be.
"I don't live my life thinking about it day in and day out.
"We are keen to help out in the process, but we've just got to make sure it's fair and just for all parties."
Fagan said he hoped it was resolved sooner rather than later, but conceded there was rarely a perfect time for these things to happen.
