Hawthorn probe author facing fraud investigation
Phil Egan is facing allegations of ‘masterminding’ a fraud scheme where hundreds of thousands of dollars were taken from an Indigenous not-for-profit.By LAURA PLACELLA
CADET JOURNALIST
@lauraplacella- 7:44PM DECEMBER 21, 2022
The Herald Sun reports that Victoria Police have been investigating former Richmond player Phil Egan for months over claims he fraudulently obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars from Robinvale’s Murray Valley Aboriginal Co-operative.
“Detectives from the Financial Crime Squad are investigating a number of allegations of fraud relating to the management of a Robinvale-based organisation,” a Victoria Police spokesperson told the publication.
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“No one has been charged in relation to the matter.”
The Australian is not suggesting the allegations levelled against Egan are true, only that they are being investigated.
However, any charges laid against Egan could impact the AFL-commissioned independent investigation into claims of racism, bullying and other inappropriate behaviour at the Hawthorn Football Club between 2008 and 2016.
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The Herald Sun on Wednesday revealed that Egan is being investigated for “masterminding payments from MVAC to unqualified contractors”, who later transferred funds to his personal bank account.
The alleged fraud is understood to have occurred between 2010 and 2012, when Egan was a senior manager at MVAC. He was also chief executive for a period.
A lawyer for one of the Hawks officials accused of racism in Egan’s report said the development could be a “game-changer”.
“Storm clouds are gathering over the integrity of the Hawthorn FC-commissioned report,” the lawyer said.
“If Mr Egan is proved to have engaged in serious wrongdoing, such as to have harmed his own First Nations’ community by the removal of funds, what confidence can anyone have in any investigation process he has managed?
“If fraud charges are laid, it is a game changer and will place the panel process under enormous pressure.”
Hawthorn executives have not ruled out the possibility of action against staff members involved in the club’s alleged racism incidents.
“The club will always act in the most appropriate and responsible manner,” Hawthorn CEO Justin Reeves said.
The racism report, titled a Cultural Safety Review: of past and present Indigenous Players & Staff, was commissioned by the Hawks earlier this year after allegations of racism were made by four-time premiership player Cyril Rioli.
Egan led the review and conducted in-depth interviews, speaking with 17 First Nations former players, partners and staff members.
The most serious allegations in the report - described as amounting to “human rights abuses” - were levelled against former key Hawthorn officials, including former senior coach Alastair Clarkson, former football boss Chris Fagan and former football department staffer Jason Burt. They have all categorically denied any wrongdoing.
Alastair Clarkson (L) and Chris Fagan (R) stood down from their roles at North Melbourne and Brisbane respectively following the bombshell report.The incidents claim to have involved “players … being actively and forcibly removed and isolated from their families, told where to live and with whom and told to choose between their families and careers, including partners and unborn children”, according to the report.
One player’s partner claims Clarkson told the player he should terminate their unborn child.
Another claims that Clarkson, Fagan and Burt “walked into my house with no warning” to remove the player from the home with a few belongings, and then went on to “intimidate, trap and bully me full well knowing I’m carrying a child”.
The terms of reference of the AFL investigation include a review of Egan’s company, Binmada, and Egan’s involvement in the report.
