Cyril Rioli and three other former Hawthorn players go PUBLIC after AFL drops investigation into historic racism scandal
The four First Nations families at the center of the Hawthorn racism scandal have gone public after taking their case to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Seven News reports that Cyril Rioli and his wife Shannon have written an open letter with three other players to describe their experiences at the football club, which has been accused of racist behavior.
The move comes after Gillon McLachlan confirmed the AFL had closed its independent investigation involving Alastair Clarkson, Chris Fagan and Jason Burt. The three men deny the charges against them.
In the open letter, the players wrote, “We are among the Indigenous families who endured racism at Hawthorn Football Club.
“We were separated from our families. We were told that an unborn child would ruin our future. We were treated as special projects and control of our lives was taken away from us.
“We spoke our truths with confidence because we believed it would bring change. And because we needed to heal and move on. This trust has been betrayed. We never asked for money.
The families’ lawyer, Leon Zwier, vowed to continue the fight despite the AFL setback, and after initiating proceedings before the Human Rights Commission, they went public to give their side of the story.
More soon.
