An emotional Hawthorn coach, Sam Mitchell, has opened his post match press conference by calling out "keyboard warriors", who racially villified one of his players during their 27-point win over Adelaide on Saturday.
The Hawks nabbed their fifth win of the season in stellar fashion, but it was the last thing on Mitchell's mind.
The coach asked reporters to hold their questions until he had finished his statement.
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Mitchell blasted the social media post that he said has ruined the win for "some parts of the Hawthorn family".
"I love footy and I love our game and I think the position we have as leaders in the community, we need to do the best job we possibly can around discrimination," Mitchell began.
"I don't know if anyone saw the Eddie Betts post on social media yesterday.
"We got, some stuff that I don't want to go into it and all that."
Mitchell then slammed the "keyboard warriors" behind the post and shunned them from the club.
He became emotional when speaking about the hurt the act has caused.
"I just want to say, if you have any form of racism in you as a Hawthorn person, we're not interested in having you as part of our club," he said.
"So, while we're all enjoying a fantastic win – and we should all be enjoying it – unfortunately, some parts of our Hawthorn family can't enjoy it, because of what heroes on their keyboards think they're capable of doing.
"Any one of those who ever wears brown and gold, we don't want you."
Mitchell also added that he wanted to support the player affected and believed speaking out with his platform was just one of the many ways he can condemn the act.
https://twitter.com/HawthornFC/status/1796791989524119614
"For that to be called out because of how they look – honestly, grow up. It's absolutely ridiculous," he said.
"When they are affected, all I can do is support them in any way I have the power to do."
The Hawks sit in 12th on the ladder with a 5-7 record.
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