An external review of the Hawthorn Football Club has reportedly found key figures at the Hawks were responsible for the shocking mistreatment of Indigenous players.

ABC Sport reports the review alleges senior staff at Hawthorn demanded the separation of First Nations players from their partners and pressured one player and his partner to terminate a pregnancy for the sake of his career.

Other players allege they were made to remove SIM cards from their phones and replace them with new ones in an attempt to cut them off from their partners and make them focus on their football careers.

6PR sports presenter Mark Readings told Michael Genovese, in for Gareth Parker on 6PR Breakfast, said the club statement was an extraordinary bombshell.

“Got to put it in context here, Alastair Clarkson, AFL coaching great, and Chris Fagan, have got their names stuck in the middle of this for the time being,” he said.