AFL Commission Chair Richard Goyder today announced the Commission had determined that Barry Cable would be immediately removed from the Australian Football Hall of Fame and would no longer be designated as one of the game’s official Legends.
Mr Goyder, who is also chair of the Hall of Fame selection committee, said the AFL Commission had made the decision at its meeting in Melbourne today, following a ruling made by Judge Mark Herron in the District Court of Western Australia earlier this month that Cable had repeatedly sexually assaulted a girl during his playing career, and he found there was compelling evidence he also abused other children.
Mr Goyder said the Commission considered the matter at the earliest opportunity today, after he had asked the AFL Executive to write to Cable last week, for any response Cable was prepared to provide the Hall of Fame Committee and the AFL Commission, regarding the ruling. Cable provided a written response, which was considered as part of the Commission’s deliberations, Mr Goyder said.
"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," he said.
The wording of section 5.12 of the Hall of Fame charter, around the removal of an inductee, is as follows:
5.12 If a Hall of Fame inductee:
- 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 Commission may, if resolved by a three-fourths majority of the Commission, do any of the following:
- suspend the inductee from the Hall of Fame for a nominated period of time; or
- remove the inductee from the Hall of Fame.
"As a result, the Commission unanimously resolved today to remove Barry Cable from the Australian Football Hall of Fame, effective immediately," Mr Goyder said.
