FORMER INTER-COUNTY REFEREE SAYS
CLARKSON HITS OUT AT CLAIMS IN REPORT Barrett in favour of lifetime bans for assaults on match officials
FORMER Australia International Rules coach Alastair Clarkson has responded to accusations about how he ran Hawthorn.
Clarkson, who coached the Hawks between 2005 and ’21, winning four AFL Premiership titles, was the subject of serious allegations that have emerged from a report on the club’s relationship with indigenous players.
A First Nations player told the external review that Clarkson and his assistant Chris Fagan urged him and his partner to abort their child and advised that he should break up with her.
Another player claimed he had multiple suicide attempts and multiple stays in a mental health unit as a result of the trauma visited upon him.
During his tenure at the club Clarkson gave AFL debuts to Derry midfielder Conor Glass and
Meath native Conor
Nash, who remains at the club, while Dublin star Ciaran Kilkenny also had a brief stint under him.
Clarkson coached the International Rules team that faced Ireland in 2014 and 2015.
Stepped
He denies the allegations but has stepped aside from North Melbourne pending an investigation.
In a statement, the 54-year-old said: “It remains profoundly disappointing that these matters are being widely canvassed in the public domain without the opportunity being given to me or others to give our accounts.
“The further recent publication of purported extracts from the report means I now have grave concerns that any chance of a fair process and just outcome have been seriously undermined, if not irrevocably corrupted.
“The failure to maintain the confidentiality of the review and further damaging public speculation means I have no option but to express publicly that I did not behave in the manner claimed.”
FORMER All-Ireland final official and Croke Park referee manager Willie Barrett has welcomed a Wexford GAA move to address the spate of assault and incidents involving referees in recent weeks.
Wexford GAA held an emergency meeting with local referees on Tuesday night after a number of incidents in their own county in recent weeks, including two alleged assaults on officials.
The outcome of the meeting was that Wexford GAA would press the Association at national level to hold a Special Congress to deal with the
REPORTS issues surrounding the rulebook, punishments and the general attitude towards referees.
A raft of proposals also came out of the meeting, including fresh educational seminars for all club mentors, which if not completed would see all of a club’s games postponed until the seminar takes place, and a ‘Give Respect, Get Respect’ handshake before all games.
Senior
Over the past month underage games have been abandoned in Roscommon, Mayo and Kerry after alleged assaults.
There have been a number of flashpoints in senior games across the country as well.
A fortnight ago, All-Ireland final referee David Gough told this newspaper that he hoped the alleged assault on a referee at a minor football game in Roscommon would be ‘a watershed moment’ for the GAA.
The volume of incidents since and Wexford GAA’s proactive move to tackle the issue head on, under Chairman Micheal Martin, may mean that Meath referee Gough’s wish could become a reality over the coming months in what is a long-standing issue for the Association.
“I’d welcome it (Wexford initiative),” said former Tipperary inter-county referee Barrett.
“It’s a move in the right direction. For me there have been too many incidents of attacks and assaults on referees in 2022.
“I welcome the education part of it as well.
“I’d be very much in favour of lifetime bans.
“I think it’s the only way we can stamp it out completely and afford the protection to referees and our officials that they deserve.”
Clubs in Wexford have been told that they have to bring in all their coaches from under-11 up and run a seminar where they self-evaluate their conduct towards referees.
Findings
All clubs must then report to the County Executive the next day, stating who was in attendance and any findings arising from the workshop.
If this doesn’t happen clubs will have their fixtures postponed (at all levels) until the workshop takes place.
“The educational element is very important,” continued Barrett.
“This is a big step in the right direction. I hope it’s done by