President Jeff Kennett will stand down early but Hawthorn is resisting a full-scale investigation into racism allegations that stem back to 2015 when Hawks fans allegedly became the first to boo Adam Goodes.
Kennett allegedly made left Cyril Rioli’s wife Shannyn ‘distraught’ when he made comments about her designer-torn jeans at Launceston Airport during Indigenous Round in 2018.
Rioli retired prematurely in that same year and after four years of silence, he told The Age last week that the alleged incident played a major role in his decision, which he said happened against the background of the Hawks’ poor treatment of Indigenous players.
Rioli was just 28 when he retired from the AFL and moved back to Darwin. He has revealed that comments allegedly made by president Jeff Kennett were ‘the last straw’ in his decision
Kennett’s tenure wasn’t set to expire until the end of 2023, however it is now likely he will transition out of the role after June 30 this year, once a successor has been voted in by the Hawthorn nominations committee.
Caroline Wilson said on Nine’s Footy Classified said the alleged incident with Rioli’s wife was the final straw and one of many ‘racial red flags’ at the club.
‘It is a very sad story, I know a lot of people have decided it’s an issue about Jeff Kennett and whether he should or shouldn’t leave the club,’ she said.
‘I maintain this is a much bigger story, it’s about every AFL club, it’s about the Hawthorn Football Club and things that happened to Cyril Rioli in the years that preceded Kennett’s presidency as well.
‘His comments about Shannyn’s jeans were really the straw that broke the camel’s back after years of racial red flags that upset Cyril Rioli.’
Hawthorn supporters booed Swans champion Adam Goodes in 2015, starting a trend that would ultimately lead to his premature retirement from the AFL
Wilson said several of Hawthorn’s Indigenous players, including Rioli and Shaun Burgoyne, were ‘very upset’ at the booing aimed at Goodes in 2015 and raised the issue with several leaders at the club.
‘This is just one thing that happened at Hawthorn – and other clubs didn’t respond well to the booing of Adam Goodes, either – but I’ve always felt that Hawthorn should have taken a stand (after the match against Sydney).’
One club that did follow through with an investigation into racism was Collingwood, which commissioned its Do Better Report following Australian-Brazilian player Heritier Lumumba’s claims of racism in his nine years at the club.
Lumumba said Collingwood was a ‘boys’ club of racist and sexist jokes’ and the report ultimately led to club boss Eddie McGuire standing down.
Former coach and club champion Nathan Buckley said it was a process every club should go through, including Hawthorn.
‘We said at the time we believe the journey we are on is a journey every organisation is on,’ Buckley said.
‘And that is owning the shortfalls and errors of the past and learning and listening and being educated to make sure it doesn’t persist.
‘Collingwood is an example, Hawthorn is an example and I reckon every organisation is or needs to go through that.’
Club president Jeff Kennett celebrates with Jarman Impey of the Hawks after they defeated the Blues in 2019. He will now transition away from his role this year
Buckley has also previous admitted Collingwood did not communicate the outcomes of the report properly at the time.
‘You don’t do badly for a long time and then go ‘give us some credit for wanting to do better now’… that’s probably where we got it wrong,’ he said on I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!
‘It’s really hard to know how to communicate it, because in the end, what I think our job is as a white privileged male is actually not to talk about it, it’s actually just listen.’
Sam Mitchell played alongside Rioli in the club’s four recent premierships. He is now Hawks coach and has reached out to his old teammate in a bid to repair relations.
Current Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell played alongside Rioli during the Hawks’ amazing run that resulted in four premierships and he has reached out to his old teammate.
‘I have reached out to him over the last few months, trying to get him to reconnect back with the club and to show him some of the things we are doing now to try and improve in this area,’ Mitchell said.
‘I think I am like every other Hawthorn person who thinks back to the Cyril that we all loved, whenever you think of Cyril not being happy that is going to make anyone sad and disappointed and I’m no different.
‘Hopefully we can welcome him back into the fold at some stage but at the moment you have got to respect his wishes that he is not willing to do that just yet.’
Rioli told The Age that he had no plans of returning to the Hawks in any capacity in the near future, but would work with other clubs.
‘I’d be up for helping clubs if they wanted me… Richmond or West Coast… but I wouldn’t go back to Hawthorn after what’s gone on,’ Rioli said.
‘It’s the only club I wouldn’t put my hand up for right now.’
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