SJeff Kennett has responded to Alastair Clarkson’s brutal criticism of Hawthorn’s ‘shameful’ role in the ongoing racism investigation, in a heated radio interview.
The former Hawks president appeared on 3AW to refute Clarkson’s allegations of poor handling of the investigation by the club, saying he wouldn’t change a thing about commissioning and running it from the start – but agreed with the four-time premiership coach that the independent panel appointed to look into the bombshell claims against Clarkson and Brisbane coach Chris Fagan isn’t fit for purpose.
In the process, Kennett also clash with presenters Sam McClure and Jimmy Bartel.
“Alastair is totally out of court. We have done everything we can to protect our players,” Kennett said.
“When we found out there was an issue, we tried to see whether it was widespread or not. I can understand Alastair being upset, but those comments are totally incorrect.
“I am terribly proud of Hawthorn: our workplace is a safe workplace. If within that workplace one, two three or four have done anything that is seen to be inappropriate, all right, address the issue.
“But Hawthorn, Collingwood and Essendon, we are all spending more and more money on our players and staff in a whole range of areas. So for anyone to say we’re not safe workplaces is also incorrect.
“Alastair has said his bit today, and I’m sorry for Alastair… but I’ve got to assure you, I have nothing but absolute confidence that the reason we undertook that storytelling and how we’ve conducted ourselves since had been absolutely at the highest level.
“Alastair can look to his own performance – I don’t know the detail of the claims made against him… I do know Alastair can be fairly aggressive at times, but he’s not only aggressive in this case to Indigenous players, I’ve seen him [be] aggressive to non-Indigenous players and he’s been aggressive to me from time to time.
(Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
“Knowing Alastair, as I’ve said, he’s a bit like a volcano. He can go off from time to time, but it won’t have been done based on an issue on race. It may have just been for the concern of the player and may have been for his concern for the club.”
Kennett also said the only way forward is to abolish the independent investigation and take the whole matter to court.
“He [Clarkson] wants to protect his reputation. The only way he’s going to be able to resolve that now is for those who are making the complaints, to take it to a court of law,” Kennett said.
“Alastair has said all the way through he wants to clear his name and I understand that, as do the other two [Fagan and former Hawthorn player welfare manager Jason Burt].
“That can only be done now either by this inquiry being dropped and it being referred to a court of law where someone or a jury can actually assess the information from all sides and make a decision.
“If people don’t want to do that, then it drops away entirely. But the current system of dealing with this, as I say, is a lawyer’s picnic. It is inconclusive, it’ll go for another two or three years and whatever they find or recommend will then be challenged by someone else.”
When McClure accused Kennett of making a ‘fairly rich’ criticism of the AFL’s handling of the investigation, given the Hawks had commissioned it in the first place, the 75-year old wasn’t impressed.
“With due respect, have some understanding of process. We commissioned a report because someone had said there was something happening at the club we didn’t know about that required us to investigate… you are trying to create your own agenda.”
Kennett claims the Hawthorn board were ‘gobsmacked’ when they were made aware of the severity of the allegations in the report.
“Once that’s [the allegations] brought to your attention, you need to deal with it. You might have to impose penalties and you might have to sack people, or you might even find the allegations have no bearing,” he said.
“So please don’t tell me we set up this storytelling exercise because we knew what was going to be found. I had no idea.
“You can be critical of me as much as you like, but I’ve got to say to you, what the club did in establishing this storytelling was the right thing to do. It must happen in any workplace, where you find you’ve got a problem, you try and find out whether it exists anywhere else in the organisation.”
Alastair Clarkson and Chris Fagan at a Hawthorn training session in 2016. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
West Coast coach Adam Simpson predicts Gold Coast midfielder Matt Rowell is on the verge of taking another step forward in his AFL career – and he doesn’t think it’s because of the pre-game grass munching.
Simpson couldn’t help but laugh when vision emerged of Rowell eating some Carrara Stadium grass while warming up ahead of the Suns’ loss to Melbourne last week.
The bizarre pre-match routine became a big talking point on social media this week, and cameras will no doubt be squarely focused on Rowell during the warm-up to Friday night’s clash with the Eagles at Optus Stadium.
“I had a laugh at it,” Simpson said. “It’s a routine. He might have been doing it his whole life.
“Maybe we can spray the grass with something before (Friday’s game).”
Rowell’s AFL career started with a bang in 2020 before being stalled by serious injuries.
The 21-year-old rebounded strongly last year to play out a full season for the first time, and he’s averaging career highs in disposals (20.6), tackles (8) and clearances (7.8) in 2023.
Simpson has been impressed by Rowell’s trajectory, and feels there’s more to come.
“I don’t think it’s connected to the munching on the grass. He’s a very good, talented player,” Simpson said.
“He’s just about to take another step forward.”
Another Suns player Simpson has been impressed with is midfielder Noah Anderson, who has noticeably stepped up since Touk Miller succumbed to a knee injury in round six.
“He’s gone to another level in the last few weeks with Miller going out of the side,” Simpson said.
“It looks like he’s really grown with the responsibility.”
The Eagles also have an emerging star in their midst – first-year midfielder Reuben Ginbey.
Ginbey has been handed a series of tagging roles on some of the AFL’s best midfielders this season but Simpson has also earmarked how the 18-year-old plays when he doesn’t have a shut-down role.
“Last week we saw him express his speed and run a little bit more. That was without a role,” Simpson said.
“He’s probably our fittest player, he runs [two kilometres] in under six minutes, and he’d be in the top three or four with speed.”
Liam Duggan will captain West Coast on Friday night, with Simpson keen to give Oscar Allen and Dom Sheed a go at being skipper in future weeks.
(AAP)
Collingwood captain Darcy Moore is struggling with an infection in his elbow and is in some doubt to lead the Magpies in their clash with GWS.
The star defender failed to join Collingwood’s main session on Friday and will rest up before Sunday’s match against the Giants at the MCG.
Magpies coach Craig McRae is hopeful Moore’s health will keep improving during the next two days.
“Unfortunately Darcy got an infection in his elbow early in the week, sort of almost like a spider bite, but it’s not, it’s a scratch that got infected,” McRae said on Friday.
“It got quite bad early in the week so we’re just looking after him.
“He’s going to need to do a little bit more in the next 24 hours to be available but we’re anticipating that’ll be the case.
“He’s taking the antibiotics, but there’s progression suggesting he’ll be available.”
John Noble, who starred in last week’s win against Sydney, is battling a corked thigh but McRae anticipates the dashing defender will be available to face GWS.
Versatile tall Billy Frampton will miss at least two weeks with a groin injury, adding to Collingwood’s depleted big-man stocks.
Young ruck Aiden Begg has been added to the Magpies’ squad to potentially partner Mason Cox.
Collingwood are already without high-profile recruit Daniel McStay and first-choice ruck Darcy Cameron.
GWS have injury concerns of their own after captain Toby Greene missed last week’s loss against the Western Bulldogs and will need to prove his fitness before being a confirmed starter.
(AAP)
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