Leigh Matthews believes Clarkson deserves compensation over Hawthorn racism saga

0:00Well I thought I'd bought the it's some articles this week about the some aftermath of what went on and that what we I guess known the Hawthorne racism scandal was about four years ago when the Russell Jackson article in the ABC the allegations were first aired and Of course the the names that the that were Meenshin of course we had us a Clarkson Chris Fager was in an An hour a photo without us the Clarkson every time was on the front page of the paper and of course Jason But it's interesting what's happened this this this week seem to just be more evidence there was really nothing in it But the lawyers made a fortune 10 or 12 million I reckon Hawthorne had a situation in the end when it when it was gonna go I think to the federal court Was gonna cost them three million in legal for each less pay a million dollars compensation to the so-called victims And that'll end it which it sort of did publicly until this week Now we're about else at Clarkson's four years So before years ago here we just just had been

1:02picked up by North Melbourne and over the four years had a couple of years where this saga was still bubbling around like I I know Chris Fagerwell, so I knew what trauma he created with it within him Now Alistair Clarkson is now a sat coach There would be a fetch if you talk compensation Alistair Clarkson who was the biggest biggest name of it all really when you think about deserves plenty Because his life his professional life, and his private life He's end up being a sat coach who knows What that that racism saga did to his psych and his old his whole ability to be a senior coach now Most people think don't go to court and on defamation stuff like that because all of the lawyers the lawyers the 80 people who really make the money If Alistair Clarkson there'd be a fair argument He might coach for another 10 years and another million dollars each year if this Hawthorne saga did not eventually

2:03I mean, this is so I'm right now if Alistair Clarkson decided to go to court I'd say good on you mate Because you deserve compensation Because it has Clearly probably of even what we know superficially has affected his life Anormously and it's affected his professional work life enormously Well his head of football Todd Viny made that point as he was sacking him in that press conference He said that he's still scarred from that and he wonders whether he'll ever recover He's a different man. There's a there's a fair bit of evidence You and I have different views about what went on at Hawthorne at the tide and I still believe that there were Genuine grievances from some indigenous people at Hawthorne that have been shut out a bit in the reporting of it this week, but I agree that Clearly what was said about Alistair was far more heinous and accusation than anything leveled at bird or fagan and he was the biggest dominoe as well, but I mean what was what he was alleged to have done was

3:09You know appalling and he always denied it and they found no proof so I always wondered why Alistair Clarkson didn't sue Russell Jackson and the ABC why he didn't sue the ABC and And your suggests I mean he's still good. I guess I don't many people just say unfortunately you get into that and then the legal people make all the money and and the The victim as Alistair Clarkson is in a reputational sense Anyway, I don't know what Clark was thinking right at the moment, but but seriously you'd have to be thinking These other people have got compensation for their pain and suffering And I've been I in a sense Alistair Clarkson have been the biggest sufferer of them all in the saga So Carro the documents uncovered during the work and reported in the herald son particularly the quotes attributed to a lot of very senior players at Hawthorne at the time and in particular We focus in on the quotes attributed to the indigenous senior players at the time

4:12Sean Bergoin probably at the top of the list. What did you make of them which were None of them surprised me. I don't hold hardly in support of Alistair Clarkson Yeah, and none of them surprised me and I I do know that Sean Bergoin and Brad Hill did have some issues with some of the things Hawthorne did Namely there sit not against Alistair Clarkson But about Hawthorne's refusal to stand up and say something about the booing of Adam Goods when A group of Hawthorne indigenous players actually you know went down to the home of their indigenous liaison officer and spoke of their disenchantment with the club and Not saying anything after a particular game at the MCG But no none of that surprised me. I don't think it painted the full picture as was claimed in the herald son But it was you know great get to get the got documents and I'm not surprised at all those things were said I think looking at just as a journalist Bruce and you and I have you know worked together for many years Back in the day. It's just amazing that that report was allowed to go ahead naming those names

5:19I mean, I know I know I think that got in touch with Alice to the day before it was Published and maybe Chris Fagan and Jason Bird as well. I think they had the day before or that evening or Maybe I think Karen Clarkson had been contacted it. It still amazes me that those allegations I know I know every time I write something I go through you know a lot of grief grief with the lawyers At um at nine media at the age just amazes me that that was allowed to be published at the time But it was published when straight in front page And names were named when other names went in and it was hurried. I mean there's a hurried More and more as the as the evidence comes out. It's that there there was nothing found in this They were looking for something to be proven And it was always unproven because there wasn't a proof and anyway That about the who knows what the motivations were for the victims You use the word trauma before and as you touched it will not touch it on

6:21We all know how close you are to Chris Fagan so you would have seen up close the damage done to him a man of touch Well, they were yeah high integrity did it change him No, well no, I don't well in it this is where the is I don't think it changed him as an individual No, but you know the trauma that it was created and it didn't change his professional life because The lines continued to be winning and he was coaching well all those kind of things Clark goes coaching is gone the other direction. That's what I'm saying If you talk about compensation for pain and suffering and future earnings Things like that that's well as the Clarks and these more probably I'm thinking more underlying that the the next day Chris Fagan is because I do think about resigning in that Well, yeah, but that's it was a terrible for their side. I'm not it was a terrible low to carry Undoubtedly all I'm saying is he was used a term strong enough To be able to not let it affect his professional life That because the the lines of you know been up there during during this whole period, but no doubt the yeah

7:26He he he felt enormous amount of trauma because You know you know, this you read this we are he was alleged he nodded in a meeting That was it. That was it. Yeah, yeah There you wouldn't have known that would you you would have thought he must have done some really bad stuff Because he's on the front page of the paper and and you know, it's a yeah Kapoor. I'll face. I mean he knew he'd done nothing And let's face it. There was some people in powerful positions. We're pretty keen for him to meet something So we can end it