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Outgoing Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett has repeated his criticism of Indigenous players who went public with racism allegations against the AFL club.

He's also welcomed a WorkSafe Victoria investigation into the Hawks, saying he was confident the body would be "very impressed" with how the club operated, and adding the allegations were historic.

In a speech at Saturday night's club best and fairest function, Kennett said it was "unfair" allegations were made public through last month's ABC report.

That report named former coach Alastair Clarkson, his assistant at the time Chris Fagan and ex-Hawthorn welfare manager Jason Burt. All deny any wrongdoing.

The former players, and some family members, initially aired their grievances confidentially with the club, which forwarded a report to the AFL.

"The AFL has a process in place that could have resolved this confidentially and in the interests of all parties," Kennett told 3AW on Sunday.

"But the families, who have been involved themselves in a confidential process, went and spoke to the ABC and sadly having asked for, and we respected the confidentiality of them and their names, they then went and named those they had grievances with, and that took the process to a different level.

"I was dumbfounded by what I read in their stories, and I'm saddened by them, but they are at this stage allegations."

After saying on Saturday night he hoped the matter could be resolved by the end of the year, Kennett admitted it could take far longer.

"While I'm still hopeful all parties can come together, there's now the possibility this could go on for a year - and that's in no-one's interests," he said.

Kennett again said he didn't think Hawthorn was in a crisis, rather a situation that needed to be managed.

WorkSafe have confirmed they are looking into the matter, with inspectors from the health and safety body to visit the club on Monday.

"I'm not worried at all, that's just part of the process and they are entitled to come in and have a look," Kennett said.

"I guess these incidents, I'm not quite sure when they occurred, but somewhere between six and 12 years ago, so it's got a long tail.

"That doesn't mean you excuse it, it doesn't mean you don't deal with it.

"I'm quite sure when they complete their report, they will be, I would suspect, very impressed by the processes that we have in place."

The AFL will establish a four-person panel to look at the allegations.

Clarkson, who was recruited by North Melbourne in August, and Fagan, now at Brisbane, have stood down from their coaching duties.

© AAP 2022

Outgoing Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett has called the leaking of racism allegations at the AFL club "unfair" and hopes the unfolding saga can be resolved by the end of the year.

Speaking at the club's best and fairest awards function on Saturday night, Kennett said the club is not in crisis and has described the issue as a "bump along the highway".

But he told the audience he was "somewhat flabbergasted - and worse" when he read the draft report of the club's investigation into the experiences of Indigenous players and their partners while at Hawthorn.

That report was handed to the AFL, which will establish a four-person panel to look at the allegations.

Four-time Hawks premiership coach Alastair Clarkson was named in an ABC report last week detailing historic allegations from some Indigenous players.

Earlier on Saturday, Clarkson's friend and Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said at a function in Perth that Clarkson is "not in a great place".

The racism claims were revealed last week, with Clarkson, his then-assistant Chris Fagan and ex-Hawthorn welfare manager Jason Burt named in the ABC report. All deny any wrongdoing.

On Saturday, The Age also had a report alleging that Clarkson was unsympathetic to Sam Mitchell, now Hawthorn's coach, when he was playing under him and dealing with family issues.

Clarkson, who was recruited by North Melbourne, and Fagan have stood down from their coaching duties.

"I do not consider this to be a crisis," Kennett said at the best and fairest night.

"When I read the draft report ... I was somewhat flabbergasted - and worse.

"It wasn't a good read. I hope this matter can be resolved quickly by all parties involved."

Kennett said the people interviewed for the report had requested confidentiality and Hawthorn respected that.

"Sadly, they made a decision to talk to the press ... they named people with whom they had very real issues," he said.

"That was unfair to those (people), so therefore we need to have this resolved.

"I don't see this is as a crisis - I know this club, I know its history and I know its strength.

"We will deal with this and assist in any way we can."

Kennett also said the reported issues were historic and called on any Hawthorn employees to tell the club at the time if they believe inappropriate behaviour has happened.

"The one thing the investigation showed was that we have a safe cultural workplace now. So these are issues of the past," he said.

He hopes there can be some form of mediation so any issues can be resolved quickly.

"It could be resolved before the end of the year so people can get on with their lives," he said.

At the end of his speech, Kennett again insisted the Hawks would "overcome" the issue.

"Understand this as being a bump along the highway, but ... it is an important bump and it has to be dealt with professionally," he said.

"I will not accept the fact that we as a club cannot overcome this latest issue.

"We have the people, we have the desire and we have that indelible ingredient which is togetherness."

Meanwhile, Hardwick was quoted as speaking at a function before the WAFL grand final.

"He's not in a great place, let's be perfectly honest," Hardwick said of Clarkson.

"To have that accusation and alleged incidents thrown at you and then splashed across the media when you don't have an opportunity to defend yourself is incredibly disheartening and probably a little bit distasteful."

Also on Saturday, former Hawthorn captain Luke Hodge supported Clarkson and Fagan in a social media post, and Brisbane star Lachie Neale backed Fagan after winning the Lions' best and fairest award on Friday night.

Mitchell did not refer to the latest allegations against Clarkson involving him or the racism claims in his speech at the Hawthorn best and fairest count.

© AAP 2022

If Parramatta need any additional belief they can cause a grand-final boilover, they may find inspiration from the cruellest day of their 36-year premiership drought.

In the 2001 grand final, Newcastle shocked the heavily fancied Eels in a first-half avalanche.

Rarely has a team dominated the season like Parramatta did that year, and Penrith's supremacy in the 2023 campaign bears some comparison.

The Eels finished five points ahead of their nearest rivals in 2001 and were clear favourites on the back of the greatest points-scoring season in history.

This year, Penrith ($1.37 favourites) have sat first in every round bar one, having seemed destined for back-to-back titles since March.

According to the TAB, no team has lost a grand final this century after being such clear favourites.

Parramatta in 2001 were the closest, starting the week at $1.45 odds before being beaten 30-24.

"We were a bit more relaxed than what Parramatta were at that time," Newcastle's 2001 coach Michael Hagan told AAP.

Hagan said he had seen several similarities with this year's Eels in the way Newcastle played - and approached the decider - in 2001.

"We gave ourselves a really strong chance internally, even though not many people externally gave us a hope," Hagan said.

"Maybe Parramatta feel a bit the same now.

"They have all the right components in the way they are playing, the key positions and their defence. Their timing is on the mark, that's for sure."

Parramatta's coach from 2001, Brian Smith, sees similarities between the way his Eels and the present-day Panthers play.

The DNA of Parramatta's 2001 run still exists in Penrith, with several support staff having featured at the Panthers during their three years of dominance.

"It's in the number of players who are playing back-to-back-to-back plays," Smith said.

"That's what sets them apart from other teams in this competition. And it reminds me that we were doing more of that sort of stuff."

But Smith concedes this Panthers team is on another level with the grand-final experience his side lacked, as they gun for back-to-back titles.

"I am in awe of those guys," Smith said.

"Their ability to repeat and their physical and mental toughness to do what they're doing puts them in a different league to our guys.

"We were in the top four but fell at various times. But they've not fallen for the third year in a row. That's a massive achievement."

If Parramatta are to do it, Hagan can see a way.

Pressuring Nathan Cleary is obvious, he says, as well as shutting down Penrith's back three.

He also points to Parramatta's athleticism and leg speed in their forwards as crucial in challenging Penrith after twice beating them this year.

"It's a bit of a point of difference to some teams," Hagan said.

"They have a bit of skill they can execute in the forwards, in the middle and on the edge.

"If you get the right momentum and the right opportunities, they can take advantage of the time and space better than most.

"You just have to be at your absolute best.

"Penrith don't deviate. Their first contact is always strong. Their line-speed is always strong.

"Parramatta have to be able to outlast them in that sense. It's all about patience and field position and all those things."

© AAP 2022