Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Hawthorn says the arrest of Dylan Moore and Connor Macdonald while the players were holidaying in the US was a momentary lapse rather than a reflection of their true character.
Moore and Macdonald spent a night behind bars in Phoenix, Arizona, during the off-season for trespassing.
The pair have been punished by the club but still have an impending court date after Moore climbed onto a scissor lift while intoxicated.
Moore was stripped of his vice-captaincy and underwent an education program as well as community service.
Hawthorn head of football Rob McCartney fronted the media before coach Sam Mitchell on Wednesday morning.
McCartney defended Moore and Macdonald, saying they were “outstanding citizens” despite the overseas misdemeanour.
“We always knew this had the ability to be a story and I think we managed that extremely well throughout the process,” he said.
“Dylan spoke yesterday and he said how bitterly disappointed he was in his behaviour in that moment.
“ … those two boys in particular have been outstanding citizens over the journey of their time at our club and even before our club.
“We obviously needed to deal with the enormity of it in the initial instance but then we had to make sure there was significant wellbeing and care being put around them.”McCartney said the pair had been “extremely remorseful right from day one”.
“They showed a willingness to accept the behaviour they had shown would come with consequences,” he said.
“Then they showed a willingness to re-educate and I don’t think we can ask for much more post the event.”
McCartney said Moore understood why Hawthorn needed to make a leadership change.
“It was a collective conversation, he knows that isn’t the behaviour that aligns with a leader who has the title of vice-captain,” he said.
“It was a conversation we had collectively, it was an easy decision to make in the end based on the behaviour.”
McCartney said the financial sanctions, Moore’s loss of his leadership, community service and re-education was “absolutely fair and reasonable”.
