Barry Cable: Disgraced footy legend makes bizarre statement outside court after being charged with seven alleged sex crimes against underage girl

Former Australian Rules footballer Barry Cable will fight allegations of child abuse dating back to the 1960s.

The 80-year-old has been charged with five counts of indecent intercourse with a girl under 13 and two counts of unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 13.

The facts are said to have taken place between January 1, 1967 and April 27, 1968.

The disgraced North Melbourne legend (pictured in 2012) was found guilty of abusing a girl for five years in a civil trial held last year

Cable, who is on bail, appeared briefly in the Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday where he entered not guilty pleas to all charges.

The former North Melbourne player spoke only to confirm his name and enter his pleas after being charged by police last Friday.

Cable wore dark sunglasses as he arrived at court with his lawyer Tom Percy KC and did not respond to media queries other than to say someone called Sam had visited his house and ‘he was talking about the footy and how North was doing’ .

A civil trial in the District Court of Western Australia last year found Cable abused a girl for five years starting in 1968, when she was 12 years old.

The former Kangaroo has been stripped of his Australian Football Hall of Fame award

Judge Mark Herron said there was also compelling evidence that the former footballer, who has denied all allegations, had abused other children.

The woman was awarded $818,700 in damages but expected to receive “zero” compensation because Cable had declared bankruptcy, her lawyer said.

Cable was later stripped of his Australian Football Hall of Fame award after an illustrious playing career in the 1960s and 1970s for Perth and East Perth in the WAFL and North Melbourne in the VFL, going on to coach in both competitions.

He will appear in the Magistrates Court again on August 8.