Explosive new documents have detailed how Alastair Clarkson allegedly told a Hawthorn player to “break up” with her partner and “tell her to terminate her pregnancy” in order to build a successful football career.
The allegations against several former Hawthorn bosses, including Clarkson, Jason Burt and Chris Fagan, have been formalised in an 89-page statement of claim lodged in the Federal Court.
Lead plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the football club include legendary former player Cyril Rioli, his partner Shannyn Ah Sam-Rioli, Carl Peterson, Jermaine Miller-Lewis, Montanah-Rae Lewis and Leon Egan.
All plaintiffs are seeking damages, aggravated damages and an apology from the club.
Clarkson, Burt and Fagan deny the allegations made against them.
The documents include a series of alleged incidents, one of which details how the coaching trio pressured former Indigenous player Carl Peterson and his partner Nikita Rotumah to terminate a pregnancy in 2009.
The documents recount an alleged conversation between coaches and Peterson, in which the player was summoned to a meeting with coach Clarkson, assistant Fagan and wellness officer Burt.
“Mr. Clarkson, Mr. Fagan and Mr. Burt were present in the room before Mr. Peterson arrived,” the document says.
New details have emerged in the Hawthorn racism saga
Carl Peterson claims he was ordered to tell his partner to terminate her pregnancy
‘At first there was a friendly and positive discussion about how impressed the coaches were with Mr. Peterson’s development and his abilities as a player.
‘Mr Burt then informed Mr Peterson that he had shared Mr Peterson’s news with Mr Clarkson and Mr Fagan.
‘Mr Burt said something like, ‘Carl, being a father is a big responsibility and we don’t think you’re ready to be a father.’
‘Mr Clarkson said something like: ‘Carl, you have to break up with Nikita and just concentrate on your football.’
‘Mr Clarkson said something like: ‘Unless you break up with her and tell her to terminate the pregnancy, your football career will be in jeopardy.’
‘Mr Fagan nodded his head throughout the meeting.’
She did not terminate the pregnancy and they subsequently resumed their relationship.
Other alleged incidents include Rioli claiming he was nicknamed ‘Humphrey B Bear’ is among a long list of racist and culturally insensitive issues that forced him to American League Retirement.
Rioli, who retired in 2018 after winning four championships with Hawthorn, is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the club alleging he was subjected to racism and racial discrimination during his time with the Hawks.
The group alleges that the club engaged in unlawful conduct under the Racial Discrimination Act, causing them injury, loss or damage.
They also claim that they were subjected to violations of the Racial Discrimination Act during their stay at the club.
Rioli claimed that during his time with the Hawks from 2008 to 2018, he was regularly subjected to comments that were “culturally ignorant,” according to the statement of claim.
Alastair Clarkson (left), Chris Fagan (right) and Jason Burt deny the allegations against them
The allegations stem from the trio’s successful career at the club.
Rioli claimed that when he was sitting with other Indigenous players, then-Hawks coach Clarkson told him: ‘Oh, all the brothers together’ and ‘why don’t you come and sit with everyone else?’
Rioli alleged in court documents that Clarkson called him “Humphrey B Bear” and therefore associated him… with a black bear.
He also said that in November 2011, while visiting family in Darwin, he had a meeting with Clarkson at a hotel.
She claimed Clarkson told her something along the lines of ‘be careful not to have babies and understand that your career has just taken off and having a child will disrupt your career or potentially end it.’
Rioli and Ah Sam-Rioli said they felt “culturally unsafe” at Hawthorn.
He said a teammate asked an Indigenous player, Bradley Hill, if Hill’s teammate was also a ‘boong’.
Rioli said the “straw that broke the camel’s back” came in June 2018, when his wife attended the club’s Indigenous round match in Launceston.
It is alleged that at the airport the then president of the club, Jeff Kennett, saw his torn jeans and said things to him like “can’t you afford to buy thread?” and “I’ll give you change so you can buy thread to sew those jeans.”
Rioli said he requested two weeks off from training and began to consider leaving the club.
“To protect himself, Ms. Ah Sam-Rioli and her family from what had become a culturally unsafe environment at Hawthorn, Mr. Rioli decided to terminate his employment at Hawthorn in June 2018,” the statement of claim reads.
Rioli announced his retirement in June 2018 and decided to return to Darwin to be with his family.
Cyril Rioli is the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit against the club
The court documents contain serious allegations against Clarkson, as well as then-Hawks staff members Fagan and Burt.
In May last year, the AFL said it had not made any adverse findings against Clarkson, Fagan and Burt.
All three have continually denied the allegations.
Last month, it was reported that two reports commissioned by the AFL found that several of the allegations made against the club could not be substantiated due to a lack of evidence.
In May, mediation between the two sides failed and the Australian Human Rights Commission dismissed a complaint against the club.
Last month Fagan, now Lions coach, said: “I have maintained my innocence throughout and I am very pleased that the process is moving forward and that we are going to the Federal Court.”
Hawthorn chairman Andy Gowers said after the lawsuit was filed last week: “As we have done throughout this process, we will continue to work to achieve a resolution in a fair and timely manner for all parties.
‘The Federal Court process will provide the Hawthorn Football Club with the opportunity to respond to these allegations.’
The club has yet to file any defense in response.
Burt, who served as the club’s welfare manager, previously denied witnessing such an incident, saying: “It didn’t happen, that’s the first thing.”
Miller-Lewis alleges in the statement of claim that when he moved from Perth to Melbourne after being selected in the 2014 national draft, the club denied his request that his partner and young son be allowed to move to Victoria with him.
In December 2014 she moved to Melbourne, while Lewis, who was pregnant at the time, stayed in Western Australia.
She travelled back to Perth for the birth of her daughter in January 2015, but returned shortly afterwards.
Two weeks later, Ms. Lewis fell ill with mastitis, a painful breast infection, and suffered an allergic reaction to the antibiotics she had been prescribed.
“Ms. Lewis’s mastitis became so severe that her right breast burst and most of her breast tissue was hanging outside the wound,” the statement of claim says.
She was admitted to Swan District Hospital and underwent major surgery.
He returned to Perth in early February after being selected to play in the AFL Indigenous All Stars match, but says he was refused permission to stay with her.
Mr Miller-Lewis claims in the statement of claim that in the first half of 2015, he made several requests each month to be allowed to visit Ms Lewis and her son in Melbourne, but was denied by Hawthorn’s player development manager Cameron Matthews.
In April or May 2015, Ms Lewis and her son travelled to Melbourne and at the end of the visit they decided they would stay.
“Mr. Miller-Lewis texted Mr. Matthews saying that Ms. Lewis had not been able to board her flight and that they were both too upset to be separated,” the statement of claim says.
‘Mr Matthews texted Mr Miller-Lewis with words like ‘Get Montanah on that flight!’
It is claimed her flight was rescheduled and she left for Perth against her wishes.
Miller-Lewis says that at a meeting two days later he was told he needed to be “more ruthless” when it came to family and told to “choose between (his) family and (his) career at the club”.
