'Slandered' Chris Fagan backs up Alastair Clarkson amid lengthy Hawthorn investigation
Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan feels his name has been slandered during the lengthy investigation into allegations of racism at Hawthorn
Fagan, former Hawks premiership coach Alastair Clarkson and ex-Hawthorn development manager Jason Burt are all under investigation following an explosive report last September in which the trio were accused of allegedly mistreating First Nations players during their time at the club.
All three men have categorically denied the explosive allegations detailed in the report.
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Eight months after the report was made public, the AFL's investigation into what took place at Hawthorn between 2008 and 2015 still appears to be a way off its conclusion.
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan says he feels his name has been 'slandered' amid the ongoing investigation AFL Photos via Getty Images
On Thursday, Clarkson, who is now the senior coach at North Melbourne, labelled the investigation a \
Speaking on Friday, Fagan empathised with the frustration felt by his former colleague.
"I'm a little bit frustrated too," he said.
"I can understand completely where he's coming from.
"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 and Clarkson shared an embrace when the Kangaroos faced the Lions earlier this season. AFL Photos via Getty Images
Fagan once more expressed his desire to give his side of the story to the investigation - an opportunity that is so far yet to arrive for all three men.
He issued a statement through his lawyer earlier this week in response to media reports around a potential mediation relating to the investigation.
"The thing about it is I have a clear conscience, so I'm sleeping well at night," Fagan 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."
Former club captain and now Hawks senior coach Sam Mitchell also voiced his wish for the matter to be settled.
Current Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell said sadness was the prevailing emotion from the racism saga AFL Photos via Getty Images
"I think every person involved in this process wants it done as quickly and as fairly as possible, don't they?" Mitchell told SEN Breakfast on Friday.
Mitchell has not been interviewed for the investigation, nor does he expect to be.
"I don't think anyone is happy with how it's been going except for perhaps the lawyers. I think there's a lot of frustration from all parties about how it's going, but I'm a little bit removed. I'm not part of the investigation, I'm the coach of a football team," he said.
"As far as what my job looks like, I just keep thinking about our Hawthorn members and what the last 18 months as coach of the club have looked like - making sure this is a great place for every person to work and that the people love coming to work, and it's a safe place in the first instance and an enjoyable place to come.
"We've done a lot of hours, and learning and education, about all those things over the last 18 months which I'm quite proud of, but the challenge keeps ticking along in the background."
The investigation into Clarkson's time at the club comes on the 10-year anniversary of the first of Hawthorn's three consecutive premierships between 2013 and 2015.
Clarkson's relationship with the club he made a powerhouse appears to be broken, and Mitchell said sadness was the main emotion regarding the entire situation.
On Wednesday the chairperson of the investigation panel Bernard Quinn KC released a statement with reasons to explain the drawn-out process.
It alleged the trio were refusing to be interviewed until certain documents were made available to them.
In response to all the commentary, outgoing AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan it was too early to set a deadline for the investigation.
Sam Mitchell and Alastair Clarkson hold up the 2008 AFL premiership cup. Mark Dadswell via Getty Images
"I don't think we are there yet. 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.
"We respect the process. 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. There are incredibly serious allegations and the way the process has played out, it has taken a huge toll on both sides. That is one of the incredibly unfortunate byproducts of this."
"I have been saying for many weeks now that we respect we need cultural safety, we respect due process, but it is got to that point. We would love for it to get to mediation. We respect 'the defendants' actually want documentation and people have got to start talking and finding a way through this, that's all I would say.
"I understand completely 'the defendants' are frustrated they are not getting access to documents, I think we respect privacy. It is very difficult, but we are trying to find a way through where the parties can talk and that's what we need."
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