Barry Cable stripped of further honour following child sex abuse findings 

Jarred Cross
Jarred Cross Published July 10, 2023 at 7.15pm (AWST)

The Sport Australia Hall of Fame has dumped disgraced North Melbourne and WAFL champion Barry Cable from their list of honourees.

On Monday, SAHOF became the latest organisation to remove Cable of a decoration following WA District Judge Mark Herron finding the former footballer repeatedly sexually abused a girl while at the height of his playing career.

Multiple other women have come forward with similar allegations against Cable.

Cable, now 79, has denied the claims against him.

"If you sexually abuse children in your spare time, and molest them in a spa in your backyard while you are a coach of an AFL team, then you're not fit for a sporting hall of fame or any other sort of honour," the lawyer representing the victim, Rightside Legal partner Michael Magazanik told Fairfax Media.

"It's not controversial. It's time for anyone who has glorified Cable to face the sickening truth and act accordingly."

The Australian Football Hall of Fame, the WA Institute of Sport, WA Football Commission and North Melbourne Football Club had previously made decisions to remove Cable from their halls as a result of the court's findings.

The findings against Cable resulted in the Australian Football Hall of Fame to change their rules to allow stripping any member of their honour who "engages in conduct which the Commission considers does, or which is likely to, bring AFL, the Hall of Fame inductee, any AFL Club or Australian football into disrepute; is charged with an indictable offence; is found guilty of an indictable offence; or is otherwise engaged in conduct which the Commission considers is prejudicial to the interests of AFL".

The SAHOF board is understood to have met and made their determination on Friday.

"Induction into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame is reserved for the best of the best," the SAHOF said in a statement on Monday, according to reports.

"Those who are inducted into this elite group have not only excelled in their chosen field but uphold the character traits of dignity, integrity, courage, modesty and pride.

"Cable's actions are contrary to the values of the organisation, and as a result his SAHOF membership is revoked immediately."

Cable was named as a player and coach in the AFL's Indigenous Team of the Century in 2005.

He won multiple premierships as a player and coach across the VFL and WAFL.

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