Disgraced former AFL legend Barry Cable will fight allegations he sexually assaulted a young girl decades ago.
The 80-year-old pleaded not guilty at Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday to five counts of unlawfully or indecently dealing with a girl aged under 13.
The former WAFL and VFL great also pleaded not guilty to two counts of unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl of the same age.
Police allege Mr Cable sexually assaulted the girl between January 1, 1967 and April 27, 1968 when she was aged between nine and 10-years-old.
The allegations come almost a year after a judge in a civil case ruled found in favour of the complainants and awarded the lead plaintiff damages of more than $800,000.
Five women gave evidence during the lengthy civil trial. None of them is the complainant in the more recent criminal proceedings.
Despite the ruling, the lead plaintiff’s lawyers since claimed it was unlikely she would receive the money as Mr Cable had declared bankruptcy before the trial.
The former AFL Hall of Famer won back-to-back WAFL premierships in 1967 and 1968 and would have been aged 24 at the time of the alleged offences.
Following the civil finds against him, Mr Cable was stripped of his spot on the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, AFL Hall of Fame, and WAFL Hall of Fame.
North Melbourne also removed him from their Hall of Fame, as did the WA Institute of Sport Hall of Champions.
Mr Cable will reappear before Perth Magistrates Court on August 8 for a committal mention.
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