A former AFL player who wrote Hawthorn's dramatic racism report is accused of stealing almost $800,000 from the Indigenous organisation he worked for.
Phil Egan was contracted by the Murray Valley Aboriginal Co-operative, near Mildura, between 2010 and 2015, working as chief executive and chairman.
He appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday in the first of a five-day committal hearing after being hit with dozens of fraud charges 12 months ago.
The 61-year-old earned more than $680,000 plus a contract termination or bonus payment of more than $140,000 for the services he provided.
But court documents allege Egan received a further $779,000 secretly gained from 52 supplier invoices paid by the organisation for more than $911,000 worth of work.
He has been charged with 73 offences including obtaining financial advantage by deception from the co-op and using false documents.
Egan has previously denied any wrongdoing.
Murray Valley Aboriginal Co-operative chief executive Paul O'Neil told the court the organisation entered administration two years before he joined in 2017.
The work of two forensic accountants and pressure from board members prompted him to hand police a 19-page document outlining Egan's alleged fraud in August 2018.
"When I took control, our finances weren't in a very good position," he said.
"The board wanted this to be investigated in the criminal space.
"The issue was never off my desk because my board members were relentless in making sure it was followed through."
Executive business manager at MVAC Mary Khouri gave insight into the hands-on approach Egan had to management during his time at the organisation.
"It was Phil that would come into the office to talk to us. It was Phil that was running the place," she said.
Egan's court appearance comes days after his company Binmada's work compiling the report into claims of historical racism at Hawthorn Football Club was thrust back into the spotlight.
Norm Smith Medallist Cyril Rioli was among several former players to launch Federal Court action against the club earlier in August.
The report, which was first released in 2022, has led to Indigenous ex-players claiming they were subjected to a "racist culture" and told to abandon plans to have families.
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