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AAP
AAP
Sport
Roger Vaughan

Clarkson to start as planned at North

New North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson will start as planned on November 1. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

North Melbourne have confirmed Alastair Clarkson will start at the AFL club as planned on November 1.

Wednesday's announcement came on the same day Brisbane coach Chris Fagan also returned to his duties at the Lions.

Clarkson and Fagan are key figures in an independent investigation ordered by the AFL that will look at historic racist allegations while they were at Hawthorn.

The claims centre on Clarkson's time at Hawthorn, with his then-football manager Fagan and former welfare manager Jason Burt also named in an ABC report alleging racist behaviour at the Hawks between 2008-16.

Clarkson, Burt and Fagan, who took leave from his role as the Brisbane coach when the allegations became public last month, deny any wrongdoing.

Clarkson returned from overseas on Monday night and said he was looking forward to telling his side of the story in the saga.

The Kangaroos said in a statement on Wednesday their board had decided Clarkson, who coached Hawthorn to four premierships, should start as planned.

Like Fagan, he originally announced he would stand aside when the claims were made.

North president Sonja Hood is confident Clarkson can do his job while he cooperates with the investigation.

"We support the process to provide a voice for all parties. That includes former Hawthorn players and their families, as well as former coaches and staff, including Alastair," Hood said.

"The board came to its decision after consulting with a range of stakeholders."

Brisbane's board approved Fagan's return on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett said the club had been in contact with the families involved to understand their issues.

"Their stories, anonymously told, were provided to the AFL integrity unit as we were required to do and as was recommended in the survey report," Kennett wrote in a letter to Hawks members.

"That said we have already been working with the families concerned to better understand their concerns and assist them where possible and reasonable."

The AFL released the investigation's terms of reference last Thursday.

Senior lawyer Bernard Quinn KC was appointed on October 4 to lead the four-person panel.

Initial statements are due on November 4.

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.

"At least we've got a platform now from which we can get a chance to tell our side of the story," Clarkson said when he returned to Melbourne.

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