AFL great Carl Ditterich could be removed from Hall of Fame after being accused of historic child sex offenses
- Faces three counts of indecent assault and one count of gross indecency
- Victoria Police have confirmed the arrest and charges against Ditterich
- New Hall of Fame rules could mean he’s removed by the AFL
The AFL could face calls to expel Carl Ditterich from its Hall of Fame, following the implementation of removal policies introduced last year.
This comes after Ditterich was charged on Friday with several child sex offenses relating to an alleged incident in 1985.
Updated guidelines for exclusion from the Hall of Fame came into play when Barry Cable, a famous figure in North Melbourne and Perth football circles, was expelled.
The action follows a court ruling in Western Australia, which found him guilty of sexually assaulting a young girl on several occasions during his career, including a rape in the locker room of the Perth Football Club in 1971.
In anticipation of the verdict against Cable, the AFL Commission amended the Hall of Fame charter in June of the previous year.
Under the revised criteria, the AFL Commission has the power to suspend or expel any member of the Hall of Fame if they are accused or found guilty of a major offense, or if they engage in behavior deemed by the commission as prejudicial to the State. The interests of the AFL.
Inductees may also face suspension or revocation for actions that, in the opinion of the commission, could tarnish the reputation of the AFL, the individual in question, any AFL team or of the sport of Australian rules football as a whole.
Ditterich was known as the “Blonde Bomber” during his playing days due to his blonde hair and aggressive playing style.
Ditterich (pictured right) was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame in Melbourne in 2004.
The alleged incident occurred after Ditterich’s playing career at St Kilda and Melbourne ended.
Ditterich, 78, faces three counts of indecent assault and one count of gross indecency, all involving a single alleged victim.
He was due to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday.
The arrest, confirmed by Victoria Police, relates to an accusation that Ditterich molested a child in Heatherton, southeast of Melbourne, when he was in his 40s, shortly after ending his career in the AFL.
The charges were issued by the Bayside Sexual Offenses and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT).
“Detectives from the Bayside Sexual Offenses and Child Abuse Investigation Team have charged a man following an investigation into allegations of historical child sexual offences,” the release said.
“The incidents against a victim (allegedly) occurred in Heatherton in 1985.”
Ditterich, who now lives in Echuca, hired Tony Hargreaves, a well-known criminal lawyer, for his defense.
The Herald Sun reported Hargreaves appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court and presented a medical certificate from Bendigo Health for Ditterich, who was absent at the hearing.
This certificate was presented to justify Ditterich’s non-appearance.
Ditterich is due back in court June 28 for a detention notice.
