FOUR-TIME Hawthorn premiership star Cyril Rioli is one of six complainants in the Hawks' AFL racism saga to publicly identify themselves in an open letter.
Rioli, wife Shannyn Ah Sam-Rioli, ex-Hawthorn players Carl Peterson and Jermaine Miller-Lewis, as well as his partner Montanah Miller-Lewis, and former Hawks Indigenous manager Leon Egan have released a statement to the media via their lawyer Leon Zwier.
The letter follows the conclusion of the AFL's eight-month-long investigation into historical allegations of racism at Hawthorn on Tuesday, where no adverse findings were made.
At least three other people who have made complaints to Hawthorn during the racism investigation remain anonymous and are represented by other law firms.
"We are some of the Indigenous families who endured racism at the Hawthorn Football Club," the letter states.
"We were separated from our families.
"We were told an unborn child would ruin our futures.
"We were treated as special projects and control of our lives was taken from us.
"We told our truths in confidence, because we believed that it would bring change."
The letter claims their confidence was betrayed and they "never asked for money".
"All we ever wanted as to sit with the coaches and officials we looked up to, and who had such control over our lives and our futures, and make them understand what we heard," the letter reads.
"What impact it had on our lives.
"And to listen to them tell us their own truths - even why they thought they were helping us.
"And we are gutted that these so-called AFL role models weren't prepared to listen to our truths through mediation. We have always had the courage to listen to their truths too. That is our way."
The six will take their case to the Human Rights Commission and have threatened to go all the way to the Federal Court.
"But they will hear us one way or another," the letter reads.
"We also believe that with the passing of time the Hawthorn Football Club will acknowledge that our suffering and pain was real.
"We reached an agreement with the AFL not out of fear, but strength, because the AFL finally apologised to all First Nations players for racism in football."
At a late-night media conference on Tuesday, the AFL announced no adverse findings against Alastair Clarkson, Chris Fagan or Jason Burt over the Hawthorn racism allegations.
The outcome of the AFL investigation does not preclude the complainants from pursuing claims through other avenues.
Clarkson, Fagan and Burt have all vehemently denied any wrongdoing since the allegations surfaced via an ABC report last September.
Rioli is one of the most celebrated players in Hawthorn’s history, racking up 189 games between 2008 and 2018.
The exciting forward played in all four of the Clarkson-coached premiership teams and was awarded the Norm Smith Medal for his performance in the 2015 Grand Final.
