Hawthorn racism review

[D Mitchell]

Finally we can get justice for the true victims, the AFL administration, and punish the true crime, the improper commissioning of a report.

FFS

Maybe there weren't any victims in the first place. Not much point in an enquiry if it doesn't enquire. Even less point assuming what it might have found had it enquired.

[jeemak]

The ABC are a truly grubby, reprehensible organisation, bereft of any objectivity, and with no regard whatsoever for proper checks and balances. They have callously thrown the 4 families completely under the bus, destroying any opportunity for a proper resolution in their haste to be judge, jury and executioner - the default position for the arrogant inner city elites that dominate this completely broken organisation. And of course they have destroyed the reputations of the 3 accused, who have protested their innocence from day 1 and are now vindicated.

And of course when the reporter in question and the ABC itself are subjected to inevitable legal action for defamation, they will once again lose (as they have done all too often in recent history) and the taxpayer will once again foot the bill. And of course not a single ABC employee involved in bringing this story to print will suffer any personal consequences (they never do).

I don't expect any better from the AFEL in finding an outcome of convenience. Sadly, I don't expect any better from our public broadcaster either. The sooner their non-essential divisions are defunded the better.

How is the ABC at fault for reporting what was recorded as part of the original review? As far as I'm aware, nobody is disputing what was told to the ABC is what was alleged in the report.

Should they have left it up to the AFL and Hawthorn to disclose the contents of the report?

[hujsh]

Maybe there weren't any victims in the first place. Not much point in an enquiry if it doesn't enquire. Even less point assuming what it might have found had it enquired.

[D Mitchell]

How is the ABC at fault for reporting what was recorded as part of the original review? As far as I'm aware, nobody is disputing what was told to the ABC is what was alleged in the report.

Should they have left it up to the AFL and Hawthorn to disclose the contents of the report?

The allegations made by the 3 (?) families, leaked to the ABC and the Age, has still not been put to the 3 coaches. Hawthorn claimed to have instituted an enquiry, nothing of which has been either published or put to the 3 coaches. The AFL apparently, then, carried out its own enquiry, the result ? Who knows, certainly not the 3 coaches. Fundamentals of our justice system are innocent until proved guilty and allegations must be put to the accused. The whole process has been well short of standards required. Why assume guilt ?

[jeemak]

The allegations made by the 3 (?) families, leaked to the ABC and the Age, has still not been put to the 3 coaches. Hawthorn claimed to have instituted an enquiry, nothing of which has been either published or put to the 3 coaches. The AFL apparently, then, carried out its own enquiry, the result ? Who knows, certainly not the 3 coaches. Fundamentals of our justice system are innocent until proved guilty and allegations must be put to the accused. The whole process has been well short of standards required. Why assume guilt ?

The ABC stated they put detailed questions to all three prior to going to print, they chose not to respond.

What has the ABC done wrong in this instance?

[D Mitchell]

The ABC stated they put detailed questions to all three prior to going to print, they chose not to respond.

What has the ABC done wrong in this instance?

Nothing wrong with publishing a story, albeit unsubstantiated allegations in opinion pieces. The 3 deny that they've had the opportunity to respond but, even if it's correct that that the ABC "put detailed questions", denied, blokes who've coached Premierships aren't going to get down and dirty with ABC sensationalist, woke, journos. You shouldn't assume guilt on mere allegation.

[bornadog]

The investigation was not independent. The chair does other work for the AFL. The whole thing is a joke as is the AFL administration

[hujsh]

Nothing wrong with publishing a story, albeit unsubstantiated allegations in opinion pieces. The 3 deny that they've had the opportunity to respond but, even if it's correct that that the ABC "put detailed questions", denied, blokes who've coached Premierships aren't going to get down and dirty with ABC sensationalist, woke, journos. You shouldn't assume guilt on mere allegation.

Yeah that's the issue

[bornadog]

Yeah that's the issue

Yeah - Woke , caring for other people. Who does he think he is

[jazzadogs]

Nothing wrong with publishing a story, albeit unsubstantiated allegations in opinion pieces. The 3 deny that they've had the opportunity to respond but, even if it's correct that that the ABC "put detailed questions", denied, blokes who've coached Premierships aren't going to get down and dirty with ABC sensationalist, woke, journos. You shouldn't assume guilt on mere allegation.

The original story from ABC is linked on the first page, and my read on it is that it is a factual representation of the initial review completed by Hawthorn.

If anyone is at fault in your view, I would think it is Hawthorn who completed a review without engaging the accused parties. It seems to me that the ABC followed standard journalistic protocols.

[hujsh]

The original story from ABC is linked on the first page, and my read on it is that it is a factual representation of the initial review completed by Hawthorn.

If anyone is at fault in your view, I would think it is Hawthorn who completed a review without engaging the accused parties. It seems to me that the ABC followed standard journalistic protocols.

I've missed this detail. Does that mean the Hawks went by previous complaints and the ABC followed up with the families for the article or did the article also refer to older complaints/statements?

[jeemak]

I've missed this detail. Does that mean the Hawks went by previous complaints and the ABC followed up with the families for the article or did the article also refer to older complaints/statements?

Hawthorn reached out to ex-players to understand their views on their experience at the club and after they went through that process they were so troubled by what they'd heard they notified the AFL.

Media got wind of it, investigated and ended up reporting on it.

[hujsh]

The original story from ABC is linked on the first page, and my read on it is that it is a factual representation of the initial review completed by Hawthorn.

If anyone is at fault in your view, I would think it is Hawthorn who completed a review without engaging the accused parties. It seems to me that the ABC followed standard journalistic protocols.

Hawthorn reached out to ex-players to understand their views on their experience at the club and after they went through that process they were so troubled by what they'd heard they notified the AFL.

Media got wind of it, investigated and ended up reporting on it.

So what exactly have the Hawks done wrong? They did the review after hearing how shit they'd been to find out just how shit and they didn't tell the families after getting their initial accounts?

This seems like exactly the sort of thing more clubs should be doing. I'm sure all clubs have failed their players in some way or another given the blind spots most clubs would have had for mental health, indigenous welfare, CTE, etc, so they should be investigating and learning what they've done wrong and where they as clubs (and the industry as a whole) can improve. Sorry if that's inconvenient for the AFL as a 'product' but people will watch this shit regardless so we may as well not ruin as many lives in the process as possible.

[1eyedog]

I'll just say that the behemoth of what was in front of them made it very difficult for the alleged victims to put forward their case with conviction and confidence.

There's a fair bit of trauma there I think but I have really no idea.. I think something went down but if you're not in an emotionally strong enough position to push it to the end this will always be the likely outcome.

[Sedat]

Yeah that's the issue

Putting that word to one side (I'm not a fan of the word at all - it is such a lazy catch-all), how has the ABC or the journo in question shown any due care and consideration to the 4 families with this story, which as of today remains completely unsubstantiated? Have they given the accused a proper opportunity (not a token 24 hours) to respond to such serious allegations before going to print on a story that wasn't in the slightest bit properly vetted and assessed internally (as the ensuing months of silence, culminating in last night's farce, have proven)? Or did they, as the sensationalist click-baiters they are (IMO they are no better than the Murdoch press, just two sides of the same coin really), jumped the gun and printed an obviously under-cooked story for the clicks and to push a narrative at all costs, knowing how dynamic and divisive the subject matter of the story was going to be?

Their cowardly silence from the ABC in the last few months says everything - they got their moment in the sun, they were then immediately and unequivocally challenged by the accused on the veracity of the allegations in their story, and now they have walked away and left the 4 families to fend for themselves having used and abused them in their damaging little joyride (as have all the other usual disgusting inner city elitists that piped up on day one demanding blood for the accused - Maher, Wilson, RoCo, etc).

Whether they like it or not, the ABC (and all other media organisations) operate in a country that presumes innocence before guilt - they have a responsibility before going to print on a story that it has been rigorously reviewed and assessed for factual evidence before pressing the button and absolutely torching everybody involved. They continue to get this simple process fundamentally wrong, which has ended up in them regularly being sued for defamation and paying millions in compensation through the courts - history will repeat itself again.

And of course everybody involved with bringing this story to print will continue to remain gainfully employed and carry on with life as if nothing happened. And the 4 families will continue to be forgotten by everyone and haunted by this episode for the rest of their lives, as will the accused. What a total shitshow.

The ABC are a fundamentally broken organisation and all their non-essential services need to be privatised - they have no place whatsoever being funded by the public purse.