AFL: Chris Fagan ‘slandered’ by racism probe after Alastair Clarkson blast

Amid the fallout from Clarkson’s tirade on Thursday, during which he described Hawthorn’s handling of the process as “shameful”, Fagan empathised with his former colleague and long-time friend.

While Fagan said he was not thinking about the drawn-out saga “day in and day out”, the Lions mentor was upset his name was continually being dragged through the mud.

“I’m a little bit frustrated too. I can understand completely where (Clarkson) is coming from,” Fagan said on Friday.

“This investigation has been going on for eight months now and we haven‘t had a chance to tell our truth, but every week we have to put up with articles being written about it and our names being almost slandered to some degree.

“That becomes difficult, so I understand where he‘s coming from.”

Fagan issued a statement earlier in the week via his lawyer, concerned that the chair of the independent panel investigating the claims, Bernard Quinn KC, had released details of the process to the media.

Clarkson was scathing of Quinn, and Fagan, who has denied any wrongdoing over the historical allegations of racism towards players while at Hawthorn, remained hopeful of getting an opportunity to tell his side of the story shortly.

“The thing about it is I have a clear conscience, so I’m sleeping well at night,” he said.

“They’re the only bits I can control.

“Hopefully, things can be sorted out in the most fair and just way somewhere down the track, I’m just not sure when that’ll be.

“I don’t live my life thinking about it day in and day out.

“We are keen to help out in the process, but we’ve just got to make sure it’s fair and just for all parties.”

Despite calls from former Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett to shut the investigation down, outgoing AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said that wouldn’t happen.

“We have got to have people to get to the point – if it’s at a point where there is a total impasse, at some point decisions have got to be made, but we are not there,” McLachlan told 3AW on Friday.

“It‘s really important that this independent panel get to the end and I am hopeful that people can talk and find a way through. It is incredibly difficult.

“They are incredibly serious allegations and the way the process has played out, it has taken a huge toll on both sides.”

Originally published as Brisbane coach Chris Fagan says he’s as frustrated as Alastair Clarkson