The AFL has made the decision to remove Barry Cable from the Hall of Fame and revoke his ‘Legend’ status due to allegations of repeated sexual assault during his playing career. This ruling came after Judge Mark Herron found Cable guilty of sexually assaulting a Perth girl and compelling evidence of abuse of other children. AFL Commission Chairman Richard Goyder stated that the decision to strip Cable of these honors was made after giving him the opportunity to contest it, to which Cable provided a written response that was considered.
In a statement, Goyder expressed the seriousness and distressing nature of Judge Herron’s findings and extended the AFL Commission’s support to the victim and other women who bravely shared their stories. The Commission recognized the courage it took to bring this matter to court and, upon the ruling, felt it necessary to immediately examine the facts and remove Cable from any honors bestowed by the Hall of Fame or football.
During their last Commission meeting, they amended the charter for the Australian Football Hall of Fame to include a provision allowing the AFL Commission to remove individuals for conduct that brings disrepute to the AFL, the Hall of Fame, their inductees, or any AFL club. Therefore, Cable’s induction into the Hall of Fame and his ‘Legend’ status were removed immediately.
Barry Cable, now 79, was sued by a woman in the District Court of Western Australia, alleging abuse over a five-year period starting in 1968 when she was 12 or 13 years old. Judge Mark Herron found that the abuse indeed took place and awarded the woman $818,700 in damages. However, Cable’s bankruptcy prior to the trial has raised uncertainties regarding the payment of these damages.
Although Cable has denied the allegations of abuse, he has not faced any criminal charges. He had a successful career, winning six premierships between 1966 and 1977 and dominating Western Australia’s competition while playing for the Perth Football Club. He later moved to Victoria to play for North Melbourne in the VFL, where he won two more flags. Cable holds a prominent position in North Melbourne’s history, being named in their Team of the Century, as well as being a member of the AFL’s Indigenous Team of the Century.
North Melbourne also made a statement confirming Cable’s removal from their Hall of Fame. The decision was unanimous by the Board, and club president Dr. Sonja Hood acknowledged the disturbing contents of Judge Herron’s findings and commended the women for their resilience in coming forward. North Melbourne stands in support of the victims and their families.
Denial of responsibility! SamacharCentrl is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
Hasibur Rahaman is a passionate sports journalist. He covers everything from cricket to field hockey, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis of sporting events, both within India and on the international stage.
