Warning: this article discusses themes that may be distressing to some readers.
The Blak families at the centre of the Hawthorn racism furore will take their complaints to the Australian Human Rights Commission, after reaching an agreement with the AFL.
Explosive claims of abuse on the part of senior Hawthorn leadership, which were already the subject of an internal investigation, were leaked to the media in September last year.
Those claims, as well as the leaks, became the subject of an investigation by an independent panel appointed by the AFL the following month.
On Tuesday evening, the AFL released a statement attesting that no adverse findings had been established, and that the six Indigenous complainants would resolve all their differences with the organisation.
However, the statement confirmed the families' ability to pursue their specific claims against the Hawks in other forums.
Professor John Evans, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Indigenous Engagement at Swinburne University, said he would encourage any move by the complainants to take their complaints further.
"That would then, I think, draw on the sport itself, not just Hawthorn, to look at this as a problem within the code," the Wiradjuri man told NITV.
The AFL's agreement with the family members that it bears no responsibility for the saga does not extend to the club at the centre of the allegations, the Hawthorn Hawks. The code's statement left open the possibility that the club would be sanctioned.
Professor Evans said the focus on one club is "distracting".
"I don't think it fixes the wider issues within the sport ... all the clubs in the AFL have had some history of racism, or not treating Indigenous players particularly well."
Michael Bradley, who is representing one of the family members, was strident in his criticism of the AFL's statement.
“I guess the AFL has achieved exactly what it set out to achieve. Nothing,” he told The Age.
"When Nicky Winmar and Michael Long made allegations of racism and they brought in the racial vilification code, the AFL were were a leader in that. I think now it's time for them to relook at how it engages with its players ... fans [and] Indigenous communities."
However, reports on Wednesday of negotiations between Hawthorn and the AFL suggested that even sanctions against club were not a certainty.
Andy Gowers, the club's president, said Hawthorn would be "extremely disappointed" if sanctions were made regarding their conduct during the initial racism investigation.
The AFL meanwhile said it was committed to an "inclusive environment", and flagged current and future initiatives in pursuit of that goal.
Driven by success
Alastair Clarkson (L) and Chris Fagan were coaching Hawthorn during the period in which former players allege they were pressured into abandoning their families for the good of their game. Credit: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
Three of those players spoke to the ABC on condition of anonymity about their experiences.
The extreme demands caused grief not only to the players but their families as well, who said the experience of being bullied into disconnecting from relatives and partners amounted to multi-generational trauma.
The report found that these requirements were all driven by a need for success on the field.
Indeed, the allegations stem from a time when Hawthorn was experiencing historic success, including their back to back premiership wins in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Noted coach Alistair Clarkson was at the helm during that period, and he, assistant Chris Fagan and Jason Burt, were been named in the report.
