Disgraced AFL legend Barry Cable fronts court charged with historical sex crimes against a nine-year-old girl

Disgraced former football star Barry Cable will fight claims he sexually abused a nine-year-old girl during the 1960s. The former North Melbourne rover arrived at Perth Magistrates Court dressed in a dark suit and sunglasses, looking a little frail. He was flanked by his lawyer, leading barrister Tom Percy KC and his two sons. During the brief hearing, the one-time Australian Football Hall of Famer only spoke to confirm his name and to enter his not-guilty pleas. Cable has been charged with five counts of indecent dealing of a child under 13 and two counts of unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 13 years old. The alleged incidents are said to have taken place in Perth between January 1967 and April 1968. Cable would have been 24 at the time and at the height of his footballing prowess — winning WAFL premierships in both those years. WA Police charged Cable, now 80, with child sex crimes last week. It came almost a year after a judge ruled in a civil court that, on the balance of probabilities, Cable sexually abused five other children during the 1960s and 1970s. Judge Mark Herron awarded the lead plaintiff damages of more than $800,000, but Cable did not pay a cent after declaring bankruptcy. The alleged victim in the new criminal charges is not one of the women who told their harrowing stories during that trial in the District Court last year. The West Australian understands she came forward with her allegations after that action was made public. Cable was last year stripped of his Australian Football Hall of Fame honours following an illustrious playing career in the 1960s and ‘70s for Perth and East Perth in the WAFL and North Melbourne in the VFL, going on to coach in both leagues.