Australian rules footy great Barry Cable allegedly sexually abused a girl in club change rooms and at a public pool more than 50 years ago, a court has heard.

February 8, 2023

Legendary Australian Rules footballer Barry Cable allegedly forced a Perth girl to have sex with him at a public pool more than 50 years ago, a court has been told.

The alleged assault was one of multiple incidents during years of “degrading” sexual abuse that left his victim with lifelong injuries.

The now 79-year-old, who denies the claims and is not facing criminal charges, has also been accused of assaulting the teenager at the Perth Football Club.

His alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said Cable undressed, groped and attempted to have sex with her in the club’s change room in 1971.

After the incident, Cable allegedly hit the girl in the face causing her lip to bleed when she told him he should “stick to grown-up, real women”.

She is suing the triple Sandover Medal winner for damages over the abuse that allegedly started in the late 1960s when Cable was at the height of his playing career.

“Barry would tell me nobody would believe me if I told them what he was doing to me,” she told the Western Australian District Court civil trial on Wednesday.

The abuse allegedly started with the footballer exposing himself to the girl and asking questions about her sexual experience when she was aged about 13.

“Barry went on to say he would teach me about life, the bird and bees stuff, so I would be a hit with the men,” she said, reading from a statement to police in the late 1990s.

Cable, who was not in the court and was never charged, allegedly told his victim that it would be good for her and that she would eventually thank him for the experience.

“Eventually he got me to touch his penis. He used to call it his totem pole,” she said.

The woman said the “second phase” of the abuse started in 1969 when Cable allegedly taught her about masturbation.

It allegedly continued for about five years with almost weekly assaults, described as “Barry doing his usual thing”.

They allegedly included forced oral sex and unwanted touching.

“I was really afraid of Barry. Afraid he would hurt me if I did not comply,” she said.

The woman said Cable also forced her to have sex at a public pool where he worked.

“Barry used to say it was our secret,” she said.

The woman said the abuse caused her to start binge-eating and using laxatives leading to a lifelong medical condition.

She said the interactions frightened her and caused her to hate herself, but Cable made it sound like he was doing her a favour.

“Barry used to say how good it was for me to have me as his coach,” she said.

She started sobbing as she recalled how Cable threatened to “prey upon” her sister if she did not co-operate with him.

The woman told the court the abuse continued when she became an adult and got married, with Cable allegedly stalking her and coercing her to have sex on numerous occasions at her home and in hotel rooms.

“It was about him getting what he wanted,” she said.

Lawyer Tim Hammond said the abuse was constant and unwelcome.

“It was degrading and in circumstances when there was a complete power imbalance,” he said.

He also said it left the woman with lifelong mental health challenges, including chronic stress disorder caused by the abuse.

Mr Hammond said he intended to call evidence from another woman who also claimed she was abused by Cable.

Cable has previously said he did not intend to take part in defending the proceedings other than relying on written material already provided.

One of football’s most decorated players, Narrogin-born Cable was in 2012 elevated to legend status in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

He had an illustrious playing career for Perth and East Perth in the WAFL and North Melbourne in the VFL, going on to coach in both leagues.