Hawthorn legends and premiership teammates of Cyril Rioli Jordan Lewis and Luke Hodge have reacted to the Hawks great’s involvement in a bombshell open letter that has reopened the club’s racism scandal.
Rioli, as part of a group including wife Shannyn Ah-Sam and former First Nations Hawks Carl Peterson and Jermaine Miller-Lewis, announced they will be taking Chris Fagan, Alastair Clarkson and Jason Burt to the Human Rights Commission over serious allegations of racism during their time at the helm of Hawthorn, while also decrying the AFL’s investigation into their claims as a ‘s–tshow’.
Rioli, the 2015 Norm Smith Medallist and a beloved figure at the Hawks, had previously revealed a series of racist incidents during his time at the club, including an infamous incident with then-president Jeff Kennett and Shannyn at Launceston Airport in 2018, had permanently fractured his relationship with the club and led to his early retirement.
Speaking on SEN, Hodge, a four-time premiership teammate of Rioli’s, said the revelations came as a ‘shock’.
“I know Cyril is the biggest name out of the lot but those guys were teammates,” Hodge said of Rioli, Peterson and Miller-Lewis.
“Cyril is obviously the one who had the longest relationship with us so to hear the stories that they’ve told and how they’ve felt, a lot of it did come to a shock because when I left Hawthorn and when Cyril left Hawthorn a year later, I had text messages back and forth… it took me by surprise.
“But in saying that, you don’t divulge all your feelings to people.”
Speaking on Fox Footy, Lewis said the allegations ‘cut a bit deeper’ coming from someone as close to him as Rioli had been during their Hawthorn days.
“It was tough to read for anyone – knowing the person, it probably cuts a little bit deeper,” Lewis said.
“His [Rioli’s] experience is not as good as I would have imagined it to be.
“Those guys have been named now so they’ll go through due process.
“Hopefully sometime in the near future get a resolution for everybody.”
Cyril Rioli (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Hodge and Lewis have both, however, again showed support for Clarkson, Fagan and Burt, saying they are hopeful the removal of the Hawks families’ anonymity with the open letter will allow both parties a chance to tell their side.
“I think I’m the same as everyone, we’ve heard one side of the story,” Lewis said.
“I think everyone sits back and wants to hear the other side.”
“We’ve heard one side of the story through parts that were given to the media,” Hodge said.
“I think everyone sits back and they want to hear the other side. We’ve had three, in Burt, Fagan and Clarkson, that have, over 260-odd days, haven’t been able to tell their story.
“The statement they [Hawthorn families] put out is they [Burt, Fagan and Clarkson] didn’t want to go to mediation – the hard part is you can’t go to mediation unless you know all the information that’s been said about you. You want everything to be told, so at least you can go there with clarity of ‘what am I going there accused of’ so then you can have these open conversations about it.
“All the information wasn’t given to these gentlemen, so that’s the hardest part.
“Talking to the three guys, they want to go and chat to these guys and talk about it, but they haven’t been able to because of the confidentiality, because the information wasn’t passed on.
“They’re open to going and telling their story and trying to work this out, because it’s gone on for all parties that are involved and their families… there’s no doubt they’re all hurting.”
Shoes
Roar Rookie
Thought you would go there! The simple response is one no one has the right to tell another that they should not have a child! It’s ridiculous- which was my first point! You could pick any description you wish for the type of discrimination – race age etc! It is simply discrimination ( which is what racism is)
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
So why would you classify Fagan/Clarko's supposed action as racial discrimination but Shaun Burgoyne actioning the same event as age discrimination? That just does not make sense.
Shoes
Roar Rookie
I would consider why he thought that he was in a position to know? We learn through our experience but that does not make them ‘all encompassing’! Individuals make decisions and then we have to live with them. The above suggestion could come from any employer and yes it would be discrimination based on age.
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
I am unsure of the full details of that situation so I am not in a position to comment. But if Shaun Burgoyne has on the coaching staff at the HFC & it was found that if he suggested to a non indigenous 19yo that now might not be the right time to start a family. Would you be accusing him of racism?
Shoes
Roar Rookie
Ok I can accept some of that but you are also closing the door on much more subtle racism. I was once asked to get out of a taxi, after giving the driver an address because he was not helping …. lovers.
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
True racism is when there is a distinct seperate set of rules depending on your colour or culture. I would be horrified if any club denied indigenous players of the same opportunities as non indigenous players. Fair & equal opportunities must be the same for all players no matter of their race or culture.
Shoes
Roar Rookie
Mr Right can you please clarify what you mean by ‘true racism’? And who determines this?
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
I am quite puzzled by that last sentence. The full facts have not been publicly stated by the accusers so we are all still speculating what events actually occurred & whether these events were actually true racism. Cyril definitely doesn't owe a life debt to the HFC. His hard work & talent were two of the major factors in his achievements. I just wish the AFL's findings would be published so Australians have full clarity & maybe learn from this situation. At the moment we don't know whether these claims are frivolous are do Clarko & Fagan have a case to answer.
nics
Roar Rookie
Every profession has its share of delinquents. There are dodgy doctors, lawyers, journalists, footballers, cricketers, etc… Your last sentence seems to misrepresent what I said, and sets up a false dichotomy. It would be like me saying “do you truly believe that all NRL players are 100% not [insert Todd Carney behaviours] or do you believe society misjudges them all”. Absolute statements are often incorrect. I can very easily say (1) I do not believe that 100% of lawyers (or really any occupation) are ethical but also (2) strongly disagree with the notion that the entire profession should be tarred with the same brush. There’s a world of difference between those two concepts. Having said that, the vast majority of lawyers I have worked with over the years have tried to do their best for their client within the limits of the law and available resources. Mind you, that’s just my lived experience – yours might differ. That’s the nature of anecdotal evidence.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
You make it sound like he owes a life debt to the HFC and should be down on one knee thanking it. I also said nothing about the jeans remark being the final straw. Let me make this clear again: I don’t have a view on this case. I don’t have a view on anything you have asked of me to reflect upon. I simply don’t know what’s going on in Cyril’s head, whether Clarko is guilty, or if this is one mass conspiracy that the AFL is trying to sweep under the carpet. I don’t know, and I’m certain you don’t either, so stop kidding yourself by trivialising the matter with speculation and innuendo.
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
Nics, I noticed you put up the defence about ethical lawyers very quickly at the end of your post. Why was that? Do you truly believe that all lawyers are 100% ethical or do you believe society misjudges them all?
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
Doc, you seem to be very focussed on the jeans remark being the final straw. I’m keen to hear your thoughts on the HFC identifying his talent as a teenager & paying for him to be placed as a 14yo at Scotch College Melbourne to gain an education & a professional sporting career earning $300-$600K per year & playing in four premierships. Alongside a Norm Smith Medal & 3 All Australian teams. If he spends the rest of his life focussed on a remark from an old man shaking his head at his partner’s fashion sense, then I say he has very strange vision on the really important moments that have taken him to where he is in the world.
nics
Roar Rookie
I guess, like fans of certain clubs, lawyers are an easy target.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
It’s a Saturday night, so I’m going to assume you’ve been drinking because none of that made any sense.
PeteB
Roar Rookie
Haha I can say with absolute 100% certainty that my two or three comments on the Roar have made zero contribution to this continuing sh.te fest. Also your faith in lawyers could be a little higher than it should be and a little misguided. But you’re right, if they led with that example it wouldn’t be displaying much common sense.
nics
Roar Rookie
Lawyers are officers of the court first and foremost. They should not advise a client to bring an action where there are no reasonable prospects of success – a competent and ethical lawyer advising Rioli to bring an action solely on the basis of the jeans incident is about as likely as the Eagles making finals this year. And yes you can insert your joke about the amount of ethical lawyers here.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
Yep. Spot on.
nics
Roar Rookie
This article contains a link to an older article where Rioli says that the jeans incident was a final straw and that there were other incidents eg comments about “[coloured people] sitting together”. It’s pretty obvious that there was more than one incident complained of. I’m not sure whether some people like to be obtuse because their world-view is being challenged, or whether there are some basic comprehension issues here.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
Ummm… I don’t what to be Captain Obvious here, but I strongly doubt Cyril’s legal team would be advising he take this to the Human Rights Commission based on the airport incident. You seem upset by it, since it’s the 10th time in 24 hours you’ve berated him and advised he toughen up. I could be wrong, but based on common sense, I’m going to bet you’re way off the mark with your comments, and if so, are part of the reason this continues to be a s$1t fest.
PeteB
Roar Rookie
Yawn. The airport incident gets raised again. If that’s the worst that happened then sorry Cyril, you’re heading down the wrong path and you need to move on from your unfounded bitterness. I’m assuming there’s other incidents of greater concern and it’s the media focussing on that but ffs that’s petty. And now back to the footy and bagging Vossy and co :stoked: