North Melbourne great reveals impact of Hawks racism scandal – with Alastair Clarkson in limbo

Kangaroos great Brent Harvey has revealed the crippling effect the alleged Hawks racism scandal has already had on the struggling AFL club.

The future of incoming boss Alastair Clarkson – who last month penned a five-year deal to take over as head coach at Arden St from November 1 – is now in limbo amid claims he pressured an Indigenous Hawthorn player to get his partner to abort their unborn child.

Clarkson, 54, has denied the explosive allegations, which center around his time in charge of Hawthorn, where he won four premierships.

The racism allegations were detailed in a report by the ABC on Wednesday, which claimed they are contained in an investigation commissioned by Hawthorn earlier this year.

Among the many allegations made by unnamed former Hawthorn players included Clarkson and former assistant coach Chris Fagan telling a player and his partner to end their pregnancy and break up so the player could focus on football.

Clarkson and Fagan have both vehemently denied the allegations and the matter is now the subject of an independent investigation launched by the AFL.

Legal experts believe Hawthorn will be hauled before the courts if the allegations are found to be true.

Speaking on the RSN Breakfast Club on Friday, Harvey – who played his entire 432-game AFL career with the Kangaroos and won a premiership in 1999 – admitted the club is plagued by uncertainty.

‘We literally don’t know. We’re in the dark right now,’ the current assistant coach said of how the club is handling the Clarkson situation.

‘So it will be interesting going forward. No. 1, how the football club reacts and No. 2, what we do as a coaching group, because we are already missing two. We’ve already released two coaches and we haven’t added anyone yet.’

He went on to say: ‘We know what we have to do. The show goes on. We are going to be a coach shortly and we will take pre-season training. A few of the coaches will have to step up, myself included. I’m part-time, I might have to do a bit more’.

The club’s coaching staff are expected to meet for pre-season training in early November – but whether Clarkson will be in charge remains to be seen.

It follows a disastrous season on the pitch, where the club won just two games and finished with the wooden spoon.

Following the poor results, North Melbourne sacked head of football Dan McPherson as well as assistant coaches Heath Younie and Anthony Rocca.

If and when Clarkson’s tenure begins, the club will have had four senior coaches in 24 months – Rhyce Shaw, David Noble, Leigh Adams and the suspended Clarkson.

Both Clarkson and Fagan have released statements in recent days outlining their innocence of the allegations of racism.

“The health, care and welfare of our players, staff and their families were always my highest priorities during my time at Hawthorn Football Club,” the statement from Clarkson read.

‘I was therefore shocked by the extremely serious allegations reported in the media. I was not interviewed by the authors of the report commissioned by the club, nor have I been given a copy of the report.

‘I was given no due process and I deny any allegation of wrongdoing or wrongdoing and look forward to the opportunity to be heard as part of the AFL’s external investigation.

“I have contacted the president of the North Melbourne Football Club and we have agreed that I will step down from my responsibilities at the club so that I can co-operate fully with the investigation.”

Fagan also categorically denies the allegations of mistreatment of indigenous players when he was Clarkson’s off-sider at the Hawks.

“I was shocked and deeply saddened by the allegations in the media regarding my time at Hawthorn Football Club,” Fagan said on Thursday.

‘I categorically deny the allegations of wrongdoing by me in relation to First Nations players at the Hawthorn Football Club. I have had very positive relationships with First Nations players over my many years in football, and indeed players from different racial and ethnic groups.

‘I had no opportunity to, and did not participate in any way in, the review commissioned by the Hawthorn Football Club. I was not interviewed. I was also not invited to be interviewed. No one associated with the review has ever given me any claim of a response.

‘I intend to defend myself. It is my hope that people will judge me by the way I actually behave and not by what is written in the media. I support and welcome the investigation that the AFL has announced. I intend to participate fully in the investigation and look forward to being heard and afforded due process and justice.

‘In the meantime, the Brisbane Lions Football Club and I have agreed that I will take a leave of absence from the club.’