Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has no idea when the Hawks will be completely clear of the racism controversy surrounding the club, but captain James Sicily says the players have been “sheltered” from the saga and that it hasn’t impacted them.
Mitchell was loath to talk about the situation on Thursday, a day after club president Andy Gowers made it clear the Hawks would be disappointed should they be sanctioned in the wake of the AFL shutting down its investigation into the matter.
While the issues centred around historical governance and allegations against senior staff no longer at the club, the current administration is dealing with the fallout, and Hawthorn remains entrenched in the headlines.
Mitchell conceded it was hard to escape, and didn’t know if there was an end in sight in the near future.
But he said it’s not a central issue which those in the football program…
