AFL removes Barry Cable from Australian Football Hall of Fame

The AFL has removed former North Melbourne player Barry Cable from the Australian Football Hall of Fame after a Western Australian court found the 79-year-old had sexually abused a woman during the 1960s and 1970s.

Judge Mark Herron ordered Cable earlier this month to pay $818,700 worth of damages to the victim for numerous abuses committed by the footballer.

The outcome led to the AFL Commission to vote on Cable's place as a Hall of Fame member, with the Commission unanimously agreeing on Tuesday to remove Cable.

Cable was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996 and was elevated to Legend status in 2012.

AFL Chairman and Hall of Fame chair Richard Goyder confirmed the decision was made and that a new section of the Hall of Fame guidelines had been implemented to allow the Commission to remove inductees in the future for contrary conduct.

“The finding of Judge Herron was incredibly serious and distressing and the thoughts of the AFL Commission are entirely with the victim, who bravely told her story and the other women who courageously came forward during the course of the trial to tell their stories.  We acknowledge the courage it has taken to reach an outcome through the courts in WA,” Mr Goyder said.

“Once the court ruling was handed down it was incumbent on the Commission and the game to immediately examine the facts of this matter and the horrific nature of these events required that Barry Cable can no longer be considered for any honours that the Hall of Fame or football can bestow.

“At our last Commission meeting we moved to alter the charter for the Australian Football Hall of Fame, to include a new section that allows for the AFL Commission to remove any person for conduct which brings the AFL, the Hall of Fame inductee, any AFL Club or Australian football into disrepute.

“Induction into the Hall of Fame and designation of Legend Status will immediately be removed."

The added section reads as follows:

5.12     If a Hall of Fame inductee:

1. 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;
2. is charged with an indictable offence;
3. is found guilty of an indictable offence; or
4. is otherwise engaged in conduct which the Commission considers is prejudicial to the interests of AFL,

5. suspend the inductee from the Hall of Fame for a nominated period of time; or
6. remove the inductee from the Hall of Fame.

Cable played 115 games for North Melbourne between 1970 and 1977, winning two VFL premierships.