Chris Fagan coaching twist emerges amid AFL racism scandal

After a month-long leave of absence, Chris Fagan is set to return to his post as Brisbane Lions coach as the AFL's investigation into Hawthorn gets underway.

Fagan was the general manager of football at Hawthorn during the period in which serious allegations have been levelled at senior Hawks officials and coaching staff about their conduct towards Indigenous players.

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The AFL investigation is set to conclude on December 2022, but Lions chief executive Gregg Swann has suggested Fagan will be back at work sooner than that.

The investigation, which stemmed from a club-led internal review from Hawthorn which unearthed serious accusations against Fagan, as well as then head coach Alastair Clarkson and player development manager Jason Burt, is yet to have confirmed participation from all accusers.

In addition to Fagan stepping down temporarily, Clarkson has delayed his start with North Melbourne until after the investigation has been completed.

On Monday afternoon, Swann said the Brisbane board was set to discuss Fagan's status at an upcoming meeting, predicting his return to be 'sooner rather than later'.

Both the Lions and Kangaroos have urged the AFL to hold a swift investigation into the Hawthorn report so they can have some certainty regarding their coaching positions for next season.

“We’ve got a board meeting tomorrow night where we’re discussing Chris’ return to work but … it’ll be sooner rather than later,” Swann said on Monday.

“We don’t think there’s an impediment now for Chris to come back and start to get back to work.

“He’ll still comply with that (investigation) panel but it’s not too far away.”

The announcement of the allegations against Hawthorn caught the AFL world off-guard, with many shocked by what had been described.

Fagan, Clarkson and Burt have all publicly denied the allegations levelled at them.

Swann said the entire club had been left shocked by some of the allegations levelled at Fagan, and said the coach was looking forward to putting his case to the AFL investigation.

AFL investigation into Hawthorn allegations underway in November

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan is still unsure whether the parties who have levelled racism allegations against Hawthorn will participate in the league's investigation into the matter.

The investigation will include mediation if needed and the league is projecting it will end in December, with the resulting report to be made public.

Initial statements are due on November 4.

If the investigation finds anyone should be subject to a discipline process, that would be a separate process under AFL rules.

Terms of reference for the investigation were released by the AFL earlier in the month, with senior lawyer Bernard Quinn KC appointed on October 4 to lead the four-person panel.

However, there is still doubt over whether the parties that contributed to Hawthorn's cultural safety review will take part in the AFL's investigation.

"There are no guarantees," McLachlan told reporters.

"We're obviously encouraging the complainants to tell their story.

"We believe it's an independent, culturally diverse panel.

"The terms of reference are transparent, the process we believe gives cultural safety and we're here at the behest of the families.

"So we are encouraging them to (participate) but ultimately that will be a decision for the complainants."

The inquiry was commissioned after bombshell allegations of racism and other inappropriate behaviour at Hawthorn between 2008-16.

With AAP

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