Former Hawthorn footballers Cyril Rioli and Jermaine Miller-Lewis and their partners made submissions to the club and the AFL for compensation amid the Hawks racism investigations, according to reports.

The revelations, published by The Age on Sunday are at odds with an open letter released by families central to the saga.

On Friday former players and their partners Carl Peterson, Cyril Rioli, Shannyn Ahsam-Rioli, Jermaine and Montanah Miller-Lewis and former Hawthorn Indigenous liaison officer Leon Egan broke their silence as parties behind the probe.

Rioli is a four-time premiership player with the Hawks while Peterson and Miller-Lewis both spent short stints at the club.

Within the letter, the group announced they will pursue Human Rights Commission conciliation, and possible Federal Court action, after mediation sessions with Alastair Clarkson, Chris Fagan and Jason Burt failed to eventuate.

On May 30, AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan announced the eight month-long independent panel investigations into claims of misconduct made against the ex-Hawks football staff had been closed after an agreement was reached between the league and families involved.

It came after the probe brought "no adverse findings" against Clarkson, Fagan and Burt, who would not be subjected to any AFL sanctions as a result.

The agreement did not limit the complainants options to sought legal proceedings away from the league.

In the days following, Fagan, now head coach at the Brisbane Lions, through his legal representation, flagged some intent to launch his own Supreme Court injunction, which would identify the families "by name".

In the decision to come forward on Friday, the group said "We were never scared of being named. We were never scared of what they would throw at us. We were worried about impacts on others. It doesn't change our truth."

"None of us deserved this public shitshow - including them." they said.

The letter also included the assertion "we never asked for money", in-line with the agreement announced by the league.

On Sunday, the Age reported some submissions had been made throughout the inquiry.

The outlet obtained part of a joint-statement made to the inquiry by the Riolis in 2022, which included proposals to be "paid out in full" for the remaining years of his contract with the Hawks.

Rioli retired in July 2018 despite being contracted until the end of 2020.

His shock decision has been attributed to a build-up of racial incidents he endured throughout his career.

According to The Age, a number sources stated the club made Rioli a "good will" payment equal to his salary for the full season at the time of his retirement, with an agreement to release the Hawks and AFL from any future financial claims.

It did not apply to claims for workers' compensation.

In their December statement, the couple pitched for "full ownership and publishing rights and licenses to his image", all proceeds from Hawthorn's Tiwi-themed guernsey which he helped design and payments "for every article published" about a joke former Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett made to Shannyn Ah Sam-Rioli shortly before her husband's retirement.

The joke concerns an incident where Kennett offered "loose change" to Ah Sam-Rioli to buy thread to sew ripped designer jeans.

"Hawthorn Football Club should also pay us compensation for allowing Jeff Kennett to abuse their position of power and access to resources that carried out for four years, using the media to push propaganda which ultimately declared psychological and spiritual warfare on us," The Age published on Sunday.

On Saturday, Kennett said the saga has been a "sadness for all involved" and that there has never been bad-blood against Rioli from the Hawks.

He also pointed out the conflicting remarks for no money being asked for in Friday's group letter and the examples against Rioli from late last year.

Within a separate summary of Jermaine Miller-Lewis and his wife Montanah's testimony to the probe submitted by legal representation, the former Hawk requested for "lifelong medical and caring expenses".

"Jermaine and Montanah would like to be compensated financially," the summary read.

"They understand they will be dealing with the damage done to their lives from their time at Hawthorn Football Club for the rest of their lives, including lifelong medical and caring expenses."

Via his lawyer Tony Hargreaves, Jason Burt rubbished claims there was no seeking for compensation from within the group.

"It is simply not true that the complainants have not been seeking financial compensation," Hargreaves said in a statement on behalf of Burt.

"The AFL shut down the investigation because the complainants (the former Hawthorn players) asked them to. The AFL had thousands of documents from Hawthorn and detailed information from me, Alastair and Chris which showed that their allegations were wrong.

"Jason has always been willing to meet with the complainants. The only thing he asked for before meeting with them was access to the Hawthorn documents that the lawyers for the complainants refused to release until late last week.

"The allegations the complainants have made are wrong."