Ex-Cats player sues club over alleged gang rape, failing to protect him from sexual abuse
The Geelong Football Club is being sued by a former footballer who claims he was gang raped by three older players at a Cats’ residence for country recruits.
Ashley Argoon
@ashargoon
2 min read
April 7, 2023 - 7:00PM
The former Cats player alleges the abuse occured while he lived at this Newtown football house for country recruits.
A former Geelong footballer has accused a trio of players of a historic gang rape as he sues the Cats for failing to protect him from sexual abuse.
The ex-player claims he was just 15 or 16 when he was cornered in the shower at the club’s Aberdeen House, a residence for country recruits, and sexually assaulted by three older athletes in the early 1980s.
The man, a prominent Indigenous Elder now in his late 50s, filed Supreme Court action against the Cats this week for a trial by jury, claiming the club had a “duty to take reasonable care of his welfare, safety and supervision” while he was living at the football house as a minor.
“My client has shown a lot of courage and strength in coming forward about his abuse,” said Arnold Thomas & Becker lawyer Angela Di Carluccio.
“He is a proud and well respected Indigenous man who has fought hard in his life to overcome his trauma and to contribute positively to his community.”
The former sportsman, who does not wish to be named, had played for the club’s Under 19s side but left the game soon after the alleged assault.
Aberdeen House. Picture: Supplied
In documents before the court, he claims the Cats were “vicariously liable for the abuse” because they employed the three alleged perpetrators.
Those three players have not been named in the writ, and have not been added as co-defendants.
“(Geelong FC) placed senior players in a position where they had authority, power, trust, control and the ability to achieve intimacy over the plaintiff, which afforded them the opportunity to abuse (him),” the document states.
“The Plaintiff was vulnerable by reason of his age, displacement from family and dislocation from his home.”
The writ, which has been served to the club, also alleges that Geelong FC failed to protect minors from abuse, to separate minors from adults at Aberdeen House, to supervise the house parent and provide channels to report incidents.
As a result of the alleged assault, the ex-player claims to have suffered a psychiatric injury that led to a loss of earnings and earning capacity, and medical and like expenses.
Ms Di Carluccio said the Cats had “a duty to care for his welfare and safety” while he lived at the property.
“There was a failure to properly supervise Aberdeen House or separate my client from players who were adult men,” she said.
A Geelong FC spokeswoman said the club was unable to comment.
During a recent sale of Aberdeen House, the vendors reported that people in the community would walk up to them and tell them of the Cats’ link to the property, and that they “went to some wild parties here”.
A listing agent selling the home in 2021 told the Geelong Advertiser it was purchased by the club during its 1963 premiership year, and operated as a residence for country players.
The agent said the property was retained by the Cats until the late 1980s or early 1990s, and previously had a unit in the backyard where the house mother resided.
