Ex-Hawks AFL coach Alastair Clarkson allegedly told Indigenous player to make partner get abortion

Ex-Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson was part of a group of senior staff that allegedly told an Indigenous player to pressure his partner into terminating her pregnancy and went to great lengths to separate First Nations stars from their loved ones, a review commissioned by the club will reveal.

Staff involved in the allegations also include Clarkson’s his former assistant Chris Fagan, now the coach of the Brisbane Lions, according to a report by the ABC.

The report claims the incidents occurred during the club’s golden run of success under Clarkson, when they won the 2008 grand final and three straight premierships from 2013-2015.

It’s also claimed Clarkson’s former assistant Chris Fagan – now coach of the Brisbane Lions – is was a member of the group of senior Hawks figures who allegedly pushed the player to have his unborn child terminated

The most damning allegation in the report is that a player who was ‘delighted’ with news of his partner’s pregnancy was urged to tell her to abort the child and break up with her by a group of coaches including Clarkson and Fagan.

‘Clarkson just leaned over me and demanded that I needed to get rid of my unborn child and partner,’ claimed the player, who is named only as ‘Ian’ in the report.

‘I was then manipulated and convinced to remove my SIM card from my phone so there was no further contact between my family and me.  

‘He told me to kill my unborn child.’ 

It’s alleged Ian’s partner Amy was left in a state of deep shock when she heard the news.

‘He could barely get the words out and he seemed to be crying, and he quickly said that we needed to terminate the pregnancy and end the relationship,’ she said in the report.

Amy further claimed the club cut her off from Ian – leaving her unable to call or text him – for the first five months of her pregnancy, which impacted his mental health. 

An Indigenous player named only as ‘Ian’ has claimed Clarkson (pictured) leaned over him and demanded that he ‘get rid of’ the unborn child he was expecting with his partner

‘I will never forget that phone call or the heartbreak I felt in that moment. I was frozen on the spot, completely numb from what I had just heard Ian say.’

Hawthorn also allegedly pressured other couples to separate early on in their pregnancies or soon after their children were born, the report states, with two of those families given assistance with mental health support from the AFL Players’ Association.

It’s also claimed that the Hawks allegedly bullied First Nations players into choosing between their football careers and their families, and forced them to leave their homes so they could be relocated.

The incredible run of success Clarkson (pictured earlier this month) had with Hawthorn occurred as the club was bullying Indigenous players into breaking ties with their loved ones to concentrate solely on footy, it’s been alleged  

It’s alleged coaches pressured at least two young players to remove SIM cards from their phones in order to cut them off from their loved ones and force them to devote themselves entirely to the team.

The review was given to Hawthorn management two weeks ago and the club released the following statement on Wednesday morning.

‘Earlier this year the Hawthorn Football Club engaged external First Nations consultants to liaise with current and former First Nations players and staff to learn more about their experience at the club.

‘This important work has raised disturbing historical allegations that require further investigation. Upon learning of these allegations, the club immediately engaged AFL Integrity as is appropriate.’

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