By Cameron Houston and David Estcourt
The author of an explosive report into the alleged mistreatment of First Nations footballers at Hawthorn has faced court on charges that allege he made dozens of “concealed payments” to himself – totalling almost $800,000 – on top of his salary as head of an Indigenous organisation.
Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard on Friday that police accuse Phil Egan, 60, of receiving an additional $779,246.72 on top of his contracted earnings between December 2010 and January 2015 while he was chief executive of the Murray Valley Aboriginal Co-operative (MVAC)
Phil Egan outside Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday.Credit: AAP
“Board members [of MVAC] understood Egan to be contracted in good faith to perform the leadership roles at MVAC, however were not aware of the concealed payments received by him through other contractor’s invoices,” police allege in court documents released to this masthead.
“Whilst performing his duties as CEO (and other roles), Egan received additional funds of $779,246.72 on top of his contract amount.”
Police believe the invoices, issued to a small group of contractors while Egan was working for the co-operative, inflated the value of the work that was invoiced or were paid for services that were not provided. MVAC’s current chief executive, Paul O’Neill, reported Egan to police in October 2018.
Police allege that MVAC paid a total of $911,534.72 through the invoices, of which Egan allegedly took $779,246.72.
Egan has previously said he denied the allegations against him.
During his employment with MVAC, Egan earned $682,212.34 plus a bonus payment of $141,564.07, the court documents say.
The Murray Valley Aboriginal Co-operative, which is principally funded by state and federal governments, provides health, cultural, educational and employment services to the greater Robinvale Indigenous community in northern Victoria.
Egan, who played 125 games for Richmond between 1982 and 1990 and one game for Melbourne in 1991, faces 73 charges including obtaining financial advantage by deception, producing fraudulent documentation and receiving money intended to influence him in his position as chief executive.
Egan was granted bail on his own undertaking and will return to court on October 30.
Hawthorn commissioned Egan in May last year to deliver a report titled Cultural Safety Review: Of Past and Present Indigenous Players and Staff of the Hawthorn Football Club after four-time premiership player Cyril Rioli spoke to The Age about his alleged mistreatment while at the club.
The report that Egan presented to the Hawthorn board on September 7 contained incendiary claims of mistreatment of First Nations players by then-Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson, and Chris Fagan and Jason Burt in their then roles as Hawthorn officials.
The three men, whom Hawthorn have not spoken to, have strenuously denied all allegations against them. Clarkson is now the coach of North Melbourne and Fagan is coaching the Brisbane Lions.
The AFL appointed a panel of independent lawyers in November to investigate the claims made by the First Nations players, whose allegations were made in an ABC report in September.
But after a protracted process, the AFL wound up the panel in May. “No adverse findings have been made in the independent investigation against any of the individuals against whom allegations have been made,” the AFL said in a statement at the time.
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