AFL club Western Bulldogs rocked by historical child sexual abuse scandal

[Grantysghost]

www.abc.net.au

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-01/western-bulldogs-rocked-by-historical-child-sexual-abuse-scandal/101027102

Western Bulldogs chief executive Ameet Bains says the AFL club is "shocked and dismayed" by revelations the club was the scene of horrific child sexual abuse for much of the 1980s.

Key points:

-Club fundraiser and room steward Graeme Hobbs sexually abused boys at the Western Oval in the 1980s

-Abuse survivor Adam Kneale says the club never contacted him after Hobbs's criminal conviction in 1994

-Bulldogs' current chief executive, Ameet Bains, says the club is 'dismayed' by the revelations and they will reach out to Mr Kneale to offer help

On Sunday, an ABC Sport investigation revealed the story of Adam Kneale, a young football fan who was sexually abused in the club's Western Oval administrative offices for seven years between 1984 and 1990.

Now 49, Mr Kneale detailed the harrowing legacy of his abuse, including the debilitating toll of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety.

"We have been shocked and dismayed to learn about the terrible abuse suffered by Adam Kneale in the 1980s, the confronting details of which were set out in today's ABC article," Bains said.

"What Adam was subjected to as a child — and the impact it has subsequently had on the remainder of his life — is heartbreaking and distressing.

"Football clubs should be a safe and enjoyable place for all people, especially children, so Adam's experiences and the fact that elements of this abuse occurred at the hands of a Footscray Football Club volunteer are simply devastating."

Court documents, newspaper archives and club annual reports revealed that Mr Kneale's abuser, the late Graeme Hobbs, filled a variety of roles at the Bulldogs — then known as Footscray Football Club — including chairman of fundraising and Under-19 team room steward.

Club annuals of the 1980s described Hobbs as the Footscray's "jack of all trades", and he was often affectionately identified by his nickname, 'Chops'.

Hobbs used match tickets and season passes to groom young boys and then sexually abused them in the offices at the Western Oval.

He also photographed his victims and was later charged for possession of child pornography.

Police and legal sources have confirmed to ABC Sport that other boys were abused at the club.

"We applaud Adam's courage to come forward and share the details of his story and we cannot begin to understand the trauma he and his family have been forced to deal with for more than three decades," the Bulldogs statement continued.

"While these matters were investigated by Victoria Police and relevant authorities in the early 1990s, resulting in a number of charges being laid, a criminal conviction being sustained, and a subsequent jail sentence being served by the principal offender, we understand and acknowledge that the pain continues to this day for Adam.

"The club will seek advice from police and expert agencies to ensure Adam and anyone else who may come forward are appropriately supported."

Mr Kneale said that, despite knowing about the crimes committed by his abuser since 1994, the Bulldogs had never sought to contact him nor offer assistance. The club's president in 1994, Peter Gordon, is a cousin of Mr Kneale's father.

In a written response to questions from ABC Sport, Mr Gordon said he had no recollection of Adam's story and "no knowledge of any interaction the club may have had with Adam nor any offer of assistance".

"Until this week, I was unaware my cousin, Charles Kneale, had a son named Adam, and I have no recollection of hearing of Adam or what you have described," Mr Gordon said.

As Bulldogs' current chief executive, Mr Bains said the club had now "communicated our wish to meet with Adam and his family to provide any direct support we possibly can, and to personally convey our sorrow over what he has endured".

Dennis Galimberti — who was Bulldogs chief executive for a decade between 1986 and 1996 — said that Hobbs was exiled from the club in 1992, when his grooming of children came to the attention of Graeme Pearce, the club's chief executive for six months of that year.

Adam was like any footy-loving boy until a trip to Western Oval turned his life into a nightmare

When Adam Kneale was offered a chance to help out around the Footscray Football Club as an 11-year-old, he thought he was realising every kids' dream. Instead, he faced unimaginable trauma. Warning: This story contains graphic details that may be distressing to some readers.

Read more

"I remember that Pearce came to me one day in 1992 and said that he'd received a complaint from someone," Mr Galimberti told ABC Sport.

"He didn't tell me who the complaint was from. He told me he received a complaint from someone that related to Hobbs giving away membership tickets to attract young children and youth to the club.

"He said he was going to handle the complaint. Some time later, when he hadn't given me any update on what was happening with the complaint, I spoke to him and said, 'What have you done about the complaint with Hobbs?' And he said, 'Don't worry about it, I've rung Hobbs and told him he's not to set foot in the club again'. And I never saw Hobbs after that."

Mr Kneale, who was 11 years old at the time that Hobbs began abusing him during Footscray's home games and during Western Oval training sessions, was dragged into a nightmarish secret life of sexual abuse that included assaults by numerous other offenders within a paedophile ring.

He says the man described in court as the "ringleader" of that paedophile ring, John Raymond Wayland, sexually abused him in an Essendon apartment to which Hobbs would regularly take him as a boy. Wayland confirmed to ABC Sport that he'd briefly been a trainer at the Bulldogs and had met Hobbs at the club.

In 1996, Justice Higgins of Melbourne's County Court jailed Wayland for 16 years, describing his depraved sex offending as the worst case of child abuse he'd encountered in any court.

Hobbs, who died in 2009, was sentenced to 39 months in prison in 1994 for his abuse of Adam Kneale and one other boy.

[Grantysghost]

This is horrendous.

[The Underdog]

Not a lot that can be said. Just awful and saddening.
Peter Gordon’s response seems a bit odd, I have to say.

[Grantysghost]

Not a lot that can be said. Just awful and saddening.
Peter Gordon’s response seems a bit odd, I have to say.

Complete legalese.

[1eyedog]

This is devastating. Words cannot express the pain, suffering and grief the victim has experienced.

[DOG GOD]

Sickening to read.

[Ghost Dog]

Horrific and hard to read.
Ameet should factually say ( if the facts are true ) "from the 1980's and 90's". If this is when the abuse took place, need to get that right for a start. Poor guy.

[Grantysghost]

Horrific and hard to read.
Ameet should factually say ( if the facts are true ) "from the 1980's and 90's". If this is when the abuse took place, need to get that right for a start. Poor guy.

It's from my era too I was around the club at that age. I can't recall the man in question but it's possible i encountered him.

[G-Mo77]

It's really scary stuff. What is worse this is not isolated and the article discusses predator rings and trading. It is just awful and really tough to read.

[GVGjr]

I read this early in the morning and then read it again because I couldn't believe it. Very upsetting.

[Grantysghost]

I read this early in the morning and then read it again because I couldn't believe it. Very upsetting.

So awful to think it happened at a place we all cherish and have such fond memories of.

I hope we can reach out to the victims and support them as best we can.

[Eastdog]

Horrific to read.

[SonofScray]

I read this while my daughter was out with the junior member's clinic. Brought me to tears.

Really distressing stuff. The complete betrayal of trust that Mr Kneale experienced and subsequent trauma is hard to fathom, it is just awful.

Thank goodness we have a more professional set up these days and appropriate checks and balances to reduce the risks of this type of thing ever happening. That's not to say those risks are ever eliminated, but you'd hope the likelihood is significantly reduced. And the support ad follow-up would reflect current principles and support for the abuse survivor.

My high school PE teacher was in the news recently on historical sex abuse charges and this just feels like another example of something being too close to home. Shame on these men who abuse their positions of power to prey on vulnerable folk.

[Bulldog4life]

As I was reading the article I truly felt sick in my guts. Hate that type with a passion.

[Scraggers]

I must say, I didn't want to read this article. I am two years older than Adam and was around the club in the 80s as much as I could be whilst also juggling school and part time work. Like Grantysghost, I don't ever remember meeting Adam, but the thought that this could have been me or a family member or friend is truly terrifying. I too had tears in my eyes as I read this. I look back on my teens in the early to mid 80s at Western Oval with fond memories. The club need to make this right ... I don't know how, but the very first thing that needs to happen is acknowledging Adam, apologising, and listening to him. Ameet needs to make this his number one priority.

[Twodogs]

It's from my era too I was around the club at that age. I can't recall the man in question but it's possible i encountered him.

I vaguely remember a guy everyone called Chops back in the '80s when I hung around the club pretty much every day watching training and kicking the footy around with mates but I don't think I ever spoke to him.

The club needs to make this right as a priority.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Horrifying. I'd like the club to drive hard to create something enduring out of this. A club statement is just only scratching the surface of what needs to be done. We failed these poor children, and we should be doing something now that tangibly makes a difference going forward that stamps our club's bonafides as a family and community oriented club.

[Axe Man]

Western Bulldogs sex abuse scandal heads to court (https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/western-bulldogs-sex-abuse-scandal-heads-to-court/news-story/c4d983d83d5b8cf0f1c07277324674b1)

Exclusive: The Western Bulldogs are facing a multimillion-dollar claim in a landmark legal case over historic sexual abuse at Whitten Oval.

Adam Kneale has lodged a lawsuit against the Bulldogs in the Supreme Court of Victoria.

He claims the Bulldogs did nothing to protect him from convicted paedophile Graeme Hobbs, who was a “jack of all trades” at the club.

Wesley College paid out $3 million and Geelong College was forced to pay $2.7 million in similar sexual abuse cases in Victoria last year.

Mr Kneale is the first person to sue an AFL club over sexual abuse but other clubs also face potential claims.

St Kilda was accused of failing to protect its little league players from paedophiles, with former star Rod Owen among the victims.

And a convicted paedophile ran Carlton’s little league team between 1973 and 1977.

Michael Magazanik, a partner at Rightside Legal who filed the case, said Mr Kneale wanted to hold the Bulldogs to account.

“In 1993, when he was 21, Adam told his story to police, and Hobbs and another man were jailed. But that didn’t end Adam’s suffering and he has now lived with the consequences for almost 40 years,” Mr Magazanik said.

“Adam is the first person to sue an AFL club over child abuse – but other will follow because there were multiple paedophiles involved in little league teams during the 1970s. Some of those survivors are also considering legal claims.”

Hobbs, who died in 2009, was a fixture at the Bulldogs in the 1980s when he was the under-19 team steward, a chairman of the fundraising committee and “jack of all trades”.

He abused Mr Kneale, now 49, between 1984 and 1990, including in “the grandstand” at Whitten Oval while games were being played.

Mr Kneale was only 11 years old when he met Hobbs at the Bulldogs, which was then known as the Footscray Football Club.

Mr Kneale reported his abuse to police in a 5,500 word statement, which led to Hobbs’ arrest.

Another victim also came forward at the time, with Hobbs pleading guilty to the abuse of Mr Kneale, as well as another child, with offences dating back to 1965.

The Western Times, a local newspaper that circulated in Melbourne’s west, detailed the court case on its front page in 1994.

The court heard that Hobbs, who was known as “Chops”, had given Mr Kneale free season tickets, “as many as I wanted for my friends”.

The court was told: “When police raided his home on February 9, 1993, they discovered 39 Footscray Football Club membership cards and 14 Footscray Football Club membership medallions. Prosecutor Ms Francine McNiff said the Crown would suggest that these items were used by Hobbs to cultivate boys.”

Mr Kneale, who gave permission to be named in this story, wanted to speak out to help others, Mr Magazanik said.

The Bulldogs said when asked about the case: “Due to the sensitive nature of these issues, and the commencement of legal proceedings before a jury, the Club is not in a position to comment further at this time.”

However, Bulldogs chief executive Ameet Bains said before the case was filed that the club was “shocked and dismayed to learn about the terrible abuse suffered by Adam Kneale in the 1980s.”

“What Adam was subjected to as a child and the impact it has subsequently had on the remainder of his life is heartbreaking and distressing,” Mr Bains said.

“Football clubs should be a safe and enjoyable place for all people, especially children, so Adam’s experiences and the fact that elements of this abuse occurred at the hands of a Footscray Football Club volunteer are simply devastating.”

[bornadog]

No Comment

[Happy Days]

This has made me really, really sad. I wouldn’t draw so long a bow to implicate the club over the actual abusers, but between the abuse being committed by a club official, through enticement with club funds, in the damn rooms, and for such a long time, there is no way we don’t retain some culpability here. And how Galimberti thought it fitting to not go to the police to assist, either at the time he removed Hobbs from the club or in the course of the investigation, is beyond belief.

The response of Peter Gordon is bitterly disappointing, and the one from Baines completely toothless. The club simply has to do something tangible here.

[Mantis]

No Comment

But you did.. why not just remain silent?

[Bulldog4life]

No doubt Adam Kneale should be compensated. Hopefully we can do it out of Court.

[boydogs]

I'm surprised there is not a statute of limitations on this. I don't buy that it is to hold the Bulldogs to account 30 years later, I'm sure Ameet would be happy to meet with him and address his concerns away from the courts and million dollar settlements

There's no suggestion this has continued into the 21st century, staff and controls around this sort of behaviour have changed many times over. It is appropriate for the club to ensure it has learned the required lessons, and to support Adam on an ongoing basis, but I don't think it's reasonable for the current management team to be dragged through the media and the courts. To me that would be a last resort if the club were brushing him off

Ameet has come out and apologised, then he has filed in the courts where the apology could be used as evidence against us. Now any sort of defense to protect the interests of the club will come across as uncaring and enabling the horrific behaviour he experienced

[jeemak]

This is chilling and I am so sad and sorry for the victim/ victims. I hope the club does all it can to make amends.


I'm surprised there is not a statute of limitations on this. I don't buy that it is to hold the Bulldogs to account 30 years later, I'm sure Ameet would be happy to meet with him and address his concerns away from the courts and million dollar settlements

There's no suggestion this has continued into the 21st century, staff and controls around this sort of behaviour have changed many times over. It is appropriate for the club to ensure it has learned the required lessons, and to support Adam on an ongoing basis, but I don't think it's reasonable for the current management team to be dragged through the media and the courts. To me that would be a last resort if the club were brushing him off

Ameet has come out and apologised, then he has filed in the courts where the apology could be used as evidence against us. Now any sort of defense to protect the interests of the club will come across as uncaring and enabling the horrific behaviour he experienced

I don't agree with this. The current administration can only act in good faith and represent the club to the best of its ability. If they act with integrity they won't come through the situation with a tarnished reputation, rather, they'll likely leave with an enhanced one.

[FrediKanoute]

I'm surprised there is not a statute of limitations on this. I don't buy that it is to hold the Bulldogs to account 30 years later, I'm sure Ameet would be happy to meet with him and address his concerns away from the courts and million dollar settlements

There's no suggestion this has continued into the 21st century, staff and controls around this sort of behaviour have changed many times over. It is appropriate for the club to ensure it has learned the required lessons, and to support Adam on an ongoing basis, but I don't think it's reasonable for the current management team to be dragged through the media and the courts. To me that would be a last resort if the club were brushing him off

Ameet has come out and apologised, then he has filed in the courts where the apology could be used as evidence against us. Now any sort of defense to protect the interests of the club will come across as uncaring and enabling the horrific behaviour he experienced

I agree with this post. Undeniably a wrong has been committed and our digust and anger should be directed at those involved both those who did he deeds and those who helped cover it up. The abuse though is 30 to 40 years ago and whilst that doesn't make the crime any less serious, a civil action against the club effectively punishes those involved now for past crimes.

To me it seems that the FFC did not cover this up. They sacked the individual involved and criminal charges were laid once the abuse was reported and the club made aware. Could the club have done more in 1993? Maybe they could have reached out to Adam Kneale and sought to provide him with support/compensation. I don't think that makes them responsible for the damages and what has happened in his life since the abuse was identified and stopped.

A cynic would ask why now? Why is Adam only now seeking compensation and lodging a legal claim against the FFC? Its not like he was a hidden victim, his statement led to the conviction of Hobbs.

[jeemak]

I agree with this post. Undeniably a wrong has been committed and our digust and anger should be directed at those involved both those who did he deeds and those who helped cover it up. The abuse though is 30 to 40 years ago and whilst that doesn't make the crime any less serious, a civil action against the club effectively punishes those involved now for past crimes.

To me it seems that the FFC did not cover this up. They sacked the individual involved and criminal charges were laid once the abuse was reported and the club made aware. Could the club have done more in 1993? Maybe they could have reached out to Adam Kneale and sought to provide him with support/compensation. I don't think that makes them responsible for the damages and what has happened in his life since the abuse was identified and stopped.

A cynic would ask why now? Why is Adam only now seeking compensation and lodging a legal claim against the FFC? Its not like he was a hidden victim, his statement led to the conviction of Hobbs.

Abuse victims are all different, and questioning their motives for seeking compensation/ recourse and timing of doing so has been proved to discourage them from coming forward.

We have a system and process, let it play out and hope the club represents itself to the best of its abilities. Nobody is holding the current administration to account for what happened and won't unless it is found they've done something to hamper justice being served or have not supported the victim/ victims.

How our club acts on these allegations is probably the most serious issue it has faced since the fightback, and that's not to say it isn't more serious than what it faced during that time.

You can't have kids sexually abused/ raped at your football club. It needs to be addressed no matter the timing.

[EasternWest]

You can't have kids sexually abused/ raped at your football club. It needs to be addressed no matter the timing.

This is the start, middle and end of the story.

I have zero time for the "why now" crowd. They go in with the "why don't they just get over it" crowd.

[Grantysghost]

This is the start, middle and end of the story.

I have zero time for the "why now" crowd. They go in with the "why don't they just get over it" crowd.

Yes I don't think anyone can answer what's right for a victim.
Its a very sad chapter in the clubs history, and it happened on our watch so we need to be held responsible.

[boydogs]

This is the start, middle and end of the story.

I have zero time for the "why now" crowd. They go in with the "why don't they just get over it" crowd.

I think I'm more, he's cheapening his experience by going to the courts. It's implying that money can fix what happened

I was kind of with him going to the media, you need to shine a light on these things to ensure systemic issues are addressed and victims are comfortable speaking out, but going to the courts after the club publically apologised feels like a gotcha

Everyone deals with trauma differently, some are private some are public, some will never drive again after a car crash and some want to get back on the horse and move on. He obviously feels like the time is right to speak up, I guess I'm just putting myself in Ameet's shoes where he is being held accountable for the distant past and has had to switch gears from a heartfelt apology to a corporate no comment

[FrediKanoute]

Abuse victims are all different, and questioning their motives for seeking compensation/ recourse and timing of doing so has been proved to discourage them from coming forward.

We have a system and process, let it play out and hope the club represents itself to the best of its abilities. Nobody is holding the current administration to account for what happened and won't unless it is found they've done something to hamper justice being served or have not supported the victim/ victims.

How our club acts on these allegations is probably the most serious issue it has faced since the fightback, and that's not to say it isn't more serious than what it faced during that time.

You can't have kids sexually abused/ raped at your football club. It needs to be addressed no matter the timing.

No one is suggesting that it was ok, and the fact it happened is tragic and a black mark on the club and people involved who may have known and did nothing.

Realistically though what do we do from here? We can't undo the abuse. The person who carried out the abuse was jailed. From a criminal perspective the matter has been dealt with. Any pecuniary punishment levelled against the club today will be punishing the club now 30+ years after the abuse, assuming the club was at fault.

There is an element of revisionism here and an imagining that the club should have had in place the standards/controls/checks that are mandated under laws today. The fact is no organisation had the level of controls or processes you see today with police checks etc. to deal with this. Galimberti's actions to raise it an accept it had been dealt with are most likely what an ordinary person back in 1994 would have been expected to do, especially as it resulted in a criminal conviction.

I feel sorry for Adam and wouldn't wish what he went through on anyone. I would expect the club to offer to provide support to Adam and assist in any way it can, but I think a legal claim of millions is ambulance chasing and the main winners will be his solicitors.

[1eyedog]

I think I'm more, he's cheapening his experience by going to the courts. It's implying that money can fix what happened

I was kind of with him going to the media, you need to shine a light on these things to ensure systemic issues are addressed and victims are comfortable speaking out, but going to the courts after the club publically apologised feels like a gotcha

Everyone deals with trauma differently, some are private some are public, some will never drive again after a car crash and some want to get back on the horse and move on. He obviously feels like the time is right to speak up, I guess I'm just putting myself in Ameet's shoes where he is being held accountable for the distant past and has had to switch gears from a heartfelt apology to a corporate no comment

Everyone has to put themselves in the victim's shoes. You're indirectly (or maybe even directly) victim blaming. No-one is blaming today's administration anymore than Aboriginal people are blaming you for the genocide that occurred 200 years ago.

The thing with deep trauma such as this is that most people are emotionally shattered their entire lives. Most sexual trauma victims never find the strength to deal with this. It's clear in 1993 that Adam was not the one who came forward and I applaud Adam for having the courage and strength to face this. It must be extremely difficult and it's not until now, at the age of 49, that he's finally in a place to deal with it.

Can you imagine the pain Adam is going to be faced with during the court case having to rehash all of the terrible things that were done to him? Adam needs to do this to move on with his life because I guarantee you it's been an absolute emotional shit fight for him up until now. Showing amazing courage.

One thing that might save the club financially is that Greg was a volunteer and not an employee. However, we need to hear Adam's story, everyone does. The more we hear about these traumatic events the better we get as a community to help ensure they do not happen again. I coach my daughter's AFL team and the hoops I had to jump through to be a volunteer coach were full-on, which is a good thing.

Our knowledge of how to be better has only come about because of the courage and strength of the victims.

[Axe Man]

Adam Kneale sues Bulldogs after Graeme Hobbs alleged sex abuse (https://www.heraldsun.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-victoria/adam-kneale-sues-bulldogs-after-graeme-hobbs-alleged-sex-abuse/news-story/4c4b7ea3fbd2d7c6dfbad9a7f84fbabe)

A child abuse survivor has given horror evidence of how a Footscray Football Club star volunteer regularly met him in a Whitten Oval stand to commit abuse in exchange for match tickets and money for meat pies.

Adam Kneale detailed his six years of sex abuse from the age of 11 at the hands of pedophile Graeme Hobbs, known around the club as ?Chops?, during a Supreme Court trial where he?s suing the Western Bulldogs for vicarious liability.

Mr Kneale said in 1984, a school friend asked if he wanted ?easy money? and told him to meet a fat man at the top of the stairs in the John Gent stand, who wore a big blue coat with a fur collar.

The 11-year-old found the ?friendly guy? in the stand, who told the boy if he ?needed some money to buy some pies and a drink ... anytime I could go up the stairs to meet him?.

?I just saw that as an opportunity,? Mr Kneale said of the ?big fat man? with greasy hair, who was a heavy smoker and ?didn?t smell the best?.

About a month after their first meeting, Mr Kneale said the club?s fundraising volunteer asked him during a game if he wanted to check out the Footscray FC offices.

In the conference room, Hobbs opened the door to a tall cupboard where his victim?s attention was caught by footballs sitting on the top shelf.

But the open cupboard door also blocked the view from the hall, and Hobbs touched him over his clothes.

?Honestly I just froze,? Mr Kneale told the court.

?I worked out quite quickly this is what the money was for ... I was trapped in that situation ... I thought that must be the worst of it but it wasn?t.?

The little boy was then taken into the club toilets where he was raped - the first occasion of a six-year nightmare that involved repeated abuse by Hobbs and a wider pedophile ring.

Mr Kneale said he recalled after that first time walking home from Whitten Oval and thinking, ?the money would be worth it because this won?t affect me when I?m older?.

?That was a fatalistic moment that has stayed with me forever,? he said.

The man, now 51, detailed how he then regularly met Hobbs at the top of the John Gent stand?s stairs where he was taken to be abused in the club offices, bathrooms and change rooms and handed cash and match day tickets for himself, his friends and his father.

He?d also meet the pedophile in the Footscray FC car park, where they?d catch a taxi to a hotel, or later to other sex offenders? homes.

Mr Kneale said at the time he felt like it was ?my fault? and that he ?went along with it willingly, but I didn?t realise I?d been trapped, I?d been groomed to a point I felt obliged to maintain this friendship and there was no way out?.

Once, Mr Kneale recalled travelling with Hobbs on the Footscray FC cheer squad bus to Sydney where he ?thought I?d actually be safe on this trip because I was surrounded by people?.

But Hobbs laid a jacket over his lap and abused Mr Kneale on the bus, both on the way to Sydney and the way home.

He said he later learned ? upon being taken to other pedophiles? homes after meeting Hobbs in the Footscray FC car park ? that the sex offenders were abusing other children.

?I was trapped, I found myself in a world of mess that I could not escape,? he said in answer to questions from his barrister Tim Hammond SC.

?There?s no way I had the maturity to understand what was going on at the time, I couldn?t run, I couldn?t hide, there was no turning back at this point, I knew this was my new normal and I was too immature to understand.

?I had no idea of the consequences that I would face when I got older, I just didn?t know what to do.?

The pedophile even came to Mr Kneale?s house and met his mother.

?She just thought I had some little paid job at the ground and didn?t think anything of it,? he said.

After six years of abuse, from the ages of 11 to 17, Mr Kneale reported Hobbs to police in 1993 when he was aged 21.

His first child, a little girl, had been born just two months earlier and he said that was the moment ?everything changed?.

?The moment she was born I realised what I had to do,? he said.

Mr Kneale said he was aware Hobbs had been committing offences against other children ?not long out of nappies, these were babies, two years old - I couldn?t be a role model for my daughter if I hadn?t done something about this?.

He gave a 12-hour interview to Altona Police, then drove with officers around the western and northern suburbs of Melbourne, pointing out the homes of Hobbs and his pedophile friends.

Mr Kneale is suing Western Bulldogs, formerly Footscray FC, for damages arguing the club was vicariously liable for their star volunteer who raised much needed money for the cash-strapped team.

The Bulldogs, through its barrister Jack Rush KC, has denied the club knew about the abuse and argued it was not liable for the criminal actions of their volunteer, who was jailed and later died in 2009.

Mr Kneale?s evidence, before Justice Melinda Richards, continues on Wednesday afternoon.

[bulldogtragic]

We’ve got Jack Rush. That’s a very big name silk. We aren’t mucking around. What a horrible experience for Adam to go through. I sincerely hope no one at the club even has an inkling let alone knew.

[1eyedog]

Will be settled out of court to hush this up ASAP.

Pity.

[EasternWest]

Geez. Pay this man. That was awful.

[jeemak]

Vulgar. Just horrible.

[bornadog]

What is wrong with some people - ****ed that is for sure

[Dry Rot]

How do we pay for this?

Western Bulldogs ordered to pay child sex abuse victim $5.9m in damages

https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/western-bulldogs-ordered-to-pay-child-sex-abuse-victim-5-9m-in-damages-20231109-p5eipi.html


Western Bulldogs ordered to pay child sex abuse victim $5.9m in damages
Erin PearsonNovember 9, 2023 — 2.52pm
A Supreme Court jury has awarded child sex abuse victim Adam Kneale $5.9 million in damages after finding the Western Bulldogs Football Club were negligent in protecting him from harm.

Kneale launched Supreme Court action against the Western Bulldogs, formerly Footscray, seeking damages for the abuse he endured from age 11 by former fundraising committee member Graeme Hobbs.

Kneale reported Hobbs to police in 1993, aged 21, which led to his abuser and another man being jailed.

A jury on Thursday awarded Kneale $3.35 million for pain and suffering, $2.6 million in loss of earnings and $87,500 for future medical expenses.

Kneale embraced his legal team after the verdict, while his family could be seeing wiping tears.

The club was also ordered to pay more than $10,000 to Medicare and Kneale’s legal costs.

“Mr Kneale, you have my very best wishes for your future. I don’t underestimate how difficult this has been for you. I hope this process has helped you heal in some way,” Justice Melinda Richards said.

Among the claims aired in court were that Hobbs, once recognised in the Bulldogs’ annual reports for his services to the club as a “jack of all trades” and “room steward” for the under-19 team, used club facilities during training nights, on match days, and an interstate football trip to sexually abuse a young boy over seven years.

It was also alleged that Hobbs gave game day tickets to boys who sat with him in the John Gent Stand.

During the trial, former Footscray president Peter Gordon denied knowing a club volunteer had been jailed for sexually abusing a young boy on club grounds and claimed he only became aware of Hobbs’ crimes when a journalist contacted the club in April last year.

Gordon also denied ever being made aware of a front page newspaper article, published in May 1994, which revealed Hobbs had pleaded guilty to sexually abusing Kneale when he was 12 behind the Western Oval grandstand.

Gordon said he was also never told about a conversation a police officer had with the club’s then finance manager in February 1993 when Hobbs was arrested about the potential impact it would have on the club and that other victims might come forward.

Gordon, who is also related to Kneale, said he would have contacted him if he was aware of the abuse.

When the case was first launched, Michael Magazanik, a partner with Rightside Legal, predicted Kneale would be the first of many to sue an AFL club over childhood abuse with other publicised cases of child abusers being in senior positions with little league teams in the 1970s.

With AAP.

[Prince Imperial]

Do we have liability insurance?

[GVGjr]

Do we have liability insurance?

You would think so but it won't cover that sort of money. It's likely to impact the club.

[Dry Rot]

The result is likely to cause financial strife for the AFL club, who will need to borrow funds to pay damages, its current chief executive Ameet Bains told the trial.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-09/afl-western-bulldogs-child-sexual-abuse-compensation/103085628

[angelopetraglia]

Horrific. The entire situation. No words. Shameful what happened.

However, this is the biggest payout for this type of abuse in Austrailan history. Hobbs wasn't an employee of the club and no complaint was made the club says.

So, I'm sure there is some liablility for something that happened ~40 years ago. But the largest payout in Australian history? Does that sound right?

What about the reports of church and schools where abuse was reported, was known and it was systematically buried. This case is worse than that? For someone who wasn't even employed? Hobbs was never appointed to be in the care of Neale?

If this is a new precedent, then schools, churches, scouts are going to be in all sorts of strife.

[GVGjr]

Well stated AP.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Horrific. The entire situation. No words. Shameful what happened.

However, this is the biggest payout for this type of abuse in Austrailan history. Hobbs wasn't an employee of the club and no complaint was made the club says.

So, I'm sure there is some liablility for something that happened ~40 years ago. But the largest payout in Australian history? Does that sound right?

What about the reports of church and schools where abuse was reported, was known and it was systematically buried. This case is worse than that? For someone who wasn't even employed? Hobbs was never appointed to be in the care of Neale?

If this is a new precedent, then schools, churches, scouts are going to be in all sorts of strife.

Doubt it.

[Happy Days]

https://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/1462703/club-statement

Weird and overly combative statement from the Club. To me there’s clear liability exposure here and I would’ve thought we’d be way better off distancing ourselves from it.

[bornadog]

https://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/1462703/club-statement

Weird and overly combative statement from the Club. To me there’s clear liability exposure here and I would’ve thought we’d be way better off distancing ourselves from it.

You don't think that is written by a lawyer

[Grantysghost]

This whole thing sucks.

Must be demoralising for the people the have worked for years and years to build up profit.

I'm not going to pretend to understand the pay out figure.

First feel is that it's pretty high. Not sure if we pay it over time or it's a lump sum?

No win situation, and the mongrel who did it is dead.

[ratsmac]

There is no winner in this situation. The club should've been more diligent in making sure this type of thing can't happen, but these type of predators don't need much to take advantage. It's a shame the club is the one held responsible but there must be some gross negligence on their behalf to be made pay that sort of compensation.

[jazzadogs]

Surely the AFL subsidises the club. In a billion dollar industry and under the umbrella of an organisation which makes obscene profits, no club should be significantly affected by a historical payout like this.

[jeemak]

Surely the AFL subsidises the club. In a billion dollar industry and under the umbrella of an organisation which makes obscene profits, no club should be significantly affected by a historical payout like this.

Pfft, the AFEL only subsidises clubs that willfully shit on people, the game and its reputation, not those that don't.

[bornadog]

There is no winner in this situation. The club should've been more diligent in making sure this type of thing can't happen, but these type of predators don't need much to take advantage. It's a shame the club is the one held responsible but there must be some gross negligence on their behalf to be made pay that sort of compensation.

Those days there was no such thing as "working with Children check" I think the person was a volunteer at the club.

[Happy Days]

You don't think that is written by a lawyer

I promise I know all too well it’s written by a lawyer. I don’t think it was written by a *good* lawyer though.

[jeemak]

I promise I know all too well it’s written by a lawyer. I don’t think it was written by a *good* lawyer though.

Lawyer's probably just doing what Peter Gordon is telling them to do and apparently Peter Gordon can't do no wrong........

We have every right to defend our position to the highest extent of the law. It was weird outlining to supporters/ the public the police trial that occurred years ago, to me that was unnecessary.

State your case, show compassion, take it to the next stage.

[Topdog]

Staggering payout figure, even just focusing on the loss of earnings payout its set out at about $86k a year which people in 1993 would have been extremely happy to receive at 3.5x the median wage

Awful situation all round and I dont think Gordon did himself or the Bulldogs any favours by saying he was unaware of all of it.

[Axe Man]

Staggering payout figure, even just focusing on the loss of earnings payout its set out at about $86k a year which people in 1993 would have been extremely happy to receive at 3.5x the median wage

I'm no legal expert but I have heard of juries getting carried away with payouts and them being reduced on appeal. Is that a chance of happening here? It would still acknowledge the horrendous experience of Adam, but at a level that won't cripple the club for the actions of a non-employee 40 years ago.

[hujsh]

I have no problem with big payouts from organisations that hide, protect and cover up child abuse. But if this is a one off and the churches, scouts etc aren't held to this standard then I'm less inclined to accept that amount

[ledge]

40 years ago life was different . Most clubs survived on volunteers . This pay out is based on what we know now not then.
We looked at volunteers being close to kids as trusted people and were happy to have people like that .
The last 20 years we have learnt to look for signs and realise that pedophiles are experts at getting into employment where kids are involved . Eg teachers, Churches etc trusted jobs or so we thought.
This Judge has made a decision on what we know now not what we knew then as far as pedophiles are concerned.
I am in no way condoning it in any form but it’s like fining someone for being over .05 and drink drinking back in 1960 when it wasn’t even a thought.
I hope the guy recovers as much as possible it’s a terrible thing.

[josie]

Really good points Ledge.

I have a gut feeling the churches etc. have got off lightly. The recent high court finding that plaintiffs can still pursue cases in court after alleged perpetrator is dead seemed fair to me, and kinda unbelievable that in earlier Supreme Court finding (I think it was NSW) that they could not.

I also hope the person receives all the support they can and are able to enjoy most of their life after such traumatic experiences.

I also hope our club is able to pay without putting our club on struggle street again, whatever the outcome of the appeal.

The bit that I have some curiosity about is whether our club knew about allegations when they resurfaced some time after the abuse (abuse ‘84 to ‘90, front page local newspaper article 1994 which named Hobbs and outlined he was facing court for molesting a young boy at the back of the Whitten Oval grandstand). I’m not sure we’ll ever know definitively.

Presuming organisations have correct systems in place now and culture to match….the ruling puts organisations on notice - don’t feign ignorance and make sure you actively encourage, monitor and keep abreast of allegations etc. (I’m not saying our club did know, however I’m really surprised they didn’t if that’s the case).

[Uninformed]

The perp. is liable. The club is not - unless they wrote it into his duty statement!

The club cannot be liable for all the crimes anyone associated with them has ever committed. It is just ridiculous.

[Grantysghost]

The perp. is liable. The club is not - unless they wrote it into his duty statement!

The club cannot be liable for all the crimes anyone associated with them has ever committed. It is just ridiculous.

One of the perps, has done his time (horseshit) and is living in country Victoria.

The Cats might be sleeping uneasy atm. (from April).

https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/geelong-football-club-being-sued-over-allegations-of-serious-sexual-abuse/news-story/2ca3f64eb7c4d46f016171c4c7da2962

[jeemak]

The club is liable, though there has to be some debate about retrospectively applying today's values towards volunteers to yesterday's standards/ norms.

[Prince Imperial]

We receive annually about $2-3m less in annual variable distributions from the AFL compared to the Lions, Saints and Roos.

If this judgment is not overturned or the quantum or damages not significantly reduced on appeal, we would have a very strong case for our distributions to be increased.

[FrediKanoute]

Its a tough one. Clearly someone has suffered significantly and I can't begin to imagine the damage that has occurred.

Clearly it happened at the club by one of the club's volunteers. The question is though, would the pay out be as high if the club in question was a local footy club?

I think its really difficult for a jury to imagine what controls/regulations/systems were considered normal in the 1980's without relating back to their expectations in 2023. There was no such thing as child safeguarding rules; education of children around stranger danger and control over their privates was non-existent; no one, staff or volunteers, were police checked. Negligence is the careless or wilful disregard that results in a loss or damage to an aggrieved party.

I don't know the facts, but applying today's standards would certainly make it look like negligence, when applying what was normal in the 1980's may not have. I'm not surprised the club is appealing. It should appeal, because the damages in my view are excessive.

[jeemak]

Are the damages excessive? I haven't wanted to broach that bit. Maybe they are depending on perspective.

Compensation based on who you were molested by is problematic. Why is one victim of heinous and disgusting treatment entitled to more than another. If you want to spend our taxes wisely, perhaps this is a good place to start.

[Grantysghost]

Are the damages excessive? I haven't wanted to broach that bit. Maybe they are depending on perspective.

Compensation based on who you were molested by is problematic. Why is one victim of heinous and disgusting treatment entitled to more than another. If you want to spend our taxes wisely, perhaps this is a good place to start.

Reading the story is pretty sickening, and the access to the kids was unwittingly facilitated by the club.

Our governance clearly wasn't up to scratch.

There are other aspects involved in the case however which affected the victim. For example he speaks of the impact of an insufficient sentence given to Hobbs causing him significant issues.

I'm not sure how the club are liable for that?

The ruling seems to place the entire financial impact at the foot of the club which to me doesn't seem right.

We definitely need to be held accountable. It was a major failure of process letting this animal use the club to access his victims. Innocent kids.

[Throughandthrough]

I haven't read the rest of the thread There's no doubt in my mind that the club is in some way liable but I'm questioning the level of the payment to the poor man There's no doubt his whole life has been severely
Damaged Why is it way more than the Catholic Church and schools etc have had to pay ?

[Grantysghost]

I haven't read the rest of the thread There's no doubt in my mind that the club is in some way liable but I'm questioning the level of the payment to the poor man There's no doubt his whole life has been severely
Damaged Why is it way more than the Catholic Church and schools etc have had to pay ?

Jury were GWS fans?

It's a very good question. I can't begin to understand the threshold.

The club is liable, the volunteer was elevated to a status of trusted by the club which facilitated his ability to prey on the most vulnerable in our flock.

Thinking about it some more today the statement from the club doesn't sit well with me, Gordon and Galimberti saying they were unaware REALLY doesn't sit well with me, and the appeal although legally responsible feels morally disputable.

I'm around the same age, was at the club around the same time as a member of the cheer squad, at training etc and thinking back you really did trust adults who were ratified by the club. Wow you work for the Bulldogs that sort of thing. It could have been anyone, unfortunately for Adam Kneale he was the unlucky kid.

Let's take our fair whack and put this shameful chapter behind us.

[Grantysghost]

This isn't going away.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-11/western-bulldogs-could-face-more-sexual-abuse-charges/103091490

[Go_Dogs]

I’m not sufficiently across these types of cases and what constitutes a fair and reasonable payout, however it does seem at the higher end of liability for an organisation to pay for a volunteer if we had no notice of the abuse contemporaneously. No doubt the compensation is commiserate to the abuse the victim suffered and impact it’s had on their life and the lives of their family. It’s unfortunate that the club has been determined liable to bear it.

Re the clubs statement, I think it’s fine. It’s a straight bat around the decision, our next steps from a legal perspective and doesn’t in anyway diminish the victim. Not much more we could or should say at this point. Clearly we’ve received an opinion there’s merit in appeal. Let’s see what a higher authority says.

[ledge]

Jury were GWS fans?

It's a very good question. I can't begin to understand the threshold.

The club is liable, the volunteer was elevated to a status of trusted by the club which facilitated his ability to prey on the most vulnerable in our flock.

Thinking about it some more today the statement from the club doesn't sit well with me, Gordon and Galimberti saying they were unaware REALLY doesn't sit well with me, and the appeal although legally responsible feels morally disputable.

I'm around the same age, was at the club around the same time as a member of the cheer squad, at training etc and thinking back you really did trust adults who were ratified by the club. Wow you work for the Bulldogs that sort of thing. It could have been anyone, unfortunately for Adam Kneale he was the unlucky kid.

Let's take our fair whack and put this shameful chapter behind us.

I was at the club at the same time it was happening . Can’t believe it happened , this bloke had a Gaul, I am 100% sure the trainers had no idea as they would have beaten the shit out of him.
And for them not to know just shows how good pedopiles are at doing it without people knowing and how to control kids .
They have to be extremely smart and sly to get away with it.

[Happy Days]

Payouts for sexual abuse cases dwarf every other kind of damages payouts, especially in Victorian courts, probably the most plaintiff-friendly jurisdiction in Australia.

I think we probably should’ve seen this coming and not let it reach the courts. Not like you’re going to win on optics if there’s going to be an adverse finding on liability anyway.

[Eastdog]

No winners in this. Just a sad situation all round.

Just glad we have all the necessary work with children checks etc now and we have mechanisms to make sure this does not happen ever again.

[soupman]

On a payout sense considering there are multiple victims would it not are more sense to set a total payout figure that the club is liable for and all victims found eligible get to draw from that pool?

Ie. Bulldogs are held liable for say $20M to be shared across the victim group, with maybe a cap on how much each victim can claim until are certain amount have been identified.

As it stands if say 9 more victims come froward and get similiar payouts then the club is liable for $50M+, and while the cause is good I don't know if ruining the club is the end goal here?

[Grantysghost]

On a payout sense considering there are multiple victims would it not are more sense to set a total payout figure that the club is liable for and all victims found eligible get to draw from that pool?

Ie. Bulldogs are held liable for say $20M to be shared across the victim group, with maybe a cap on how much each victim can claim until are certain amount have been identified.

As it stands if say 9 more victims come froward and get similiar payouts then the club is liable for $50M+, and while the cause is good I don't know if ruining the club is the end goal here?

I guess the victims would have to arrange that prior? Like a class action v the Dogs. The legal experts on here could tell us.

As for the end goal, inflicting pain on the club, inflicts pain on the members which is a community of people who leverage the club to give them some distraction from the every day.

It would be insane to bring it down. Surely our record re gambling, community health etc puts us in good stead?

[FrediKanoute]

Reading the story is pretty sickening, and the access to the kids was unwittingly facilitated by the club.

Our governance clearly wasn't up to scratch.

There are other aspects involved in the case however which affected the victim. For example he speaks of the impact of an insufficient sentence given to Hobbs causing him significant issues.

I'm not sure how the club are liable for that?

The ruling seems to place the entire financial impact at the foot of the club which to me doesn't seem right.

We definitely need to be held accountable. It was a major failure of process letting this animal use the club to access his victims. Innocent kids.

Just playing Devil's advocate here as I agree to some extent with what you are saying:

Governance - what governance structures existed in the 80's to do with safeguarding across sporting clubs generally. I am pretty certain that there were never rules requiring police checks or not being alone with children or rules about physical contact etc. So if there were no rules/guidelines etc for the club to abide by, how have they failed in their duty?

Process Failure - again putting your 1980's hat on what process should we have had that we didn't have? If there was no established governance/whistleblowing processes, how have we failed in process.

I have no doubt that the person has been damaged, but when we talk in terms of Governance/Process, we are applying 2023 concepts to the reality of life in the 1980s and that is revisionism on a large scale.

Had this action been taken in 1993 when the individual was arrested and jailed what would the compensation payout have been? I doubt it would have been anywhere near what it today evening relative terms.

We should appeal and tie this one up for a couple of years whilst offering to do a settlement for a more reasonable amount.

[FrediKanoute]

I guess the victims would have to arrange that prior? Like a class action v the Dogs. The legal experts on here could tell us.

As for the end goal, inflicting pain on the club, inflicts pain on the members which is a community of people who leverage the club to give them some distraction from the every day.

It would be insane to bring it down. Surely our record re gambling, community health etc puts us in good stead?

We would do a pre-pack liquidation and allow the Footscray Football Club Pty Ltd to go into liquidation and sell/novate everything to The New FFC Pty Ltd.

[Grantysghost]

Just playing Devil's advocate here as I agree to some extent with what you are saying:

Governance - what governance structures existed in the 80's to do with safeguarding across sporting clubs generally. I am pretty certain that there were never rules requiring police checks or not being alone with children or rules about physical contact etc. So if there were no rules/guidelines etc for the club to abide by, how have they failed in their duty?

Process Failure - again putting your 1980's hat on what process should we have had that we didn't have? If there was no established governance/whistleblowing processes, how have we failed in process.

I have no doubt that the person has been damaged, but when we talk in terms of Governance/Process, we are applying 2023 concepts to the reality of life in the 1980s and that is revisionism on a large scale.

Had this action been taken in 1993 when the individual was arrested and jailed what would the compensation payout have been? I doubt it would have been anywhere near what it today evening relative terms.

We should appeal and tie this one up for a couple of years whilst offering to do a settlement for a more reasonable amount.

Great points.

It's hard to know what processes were in place, and with volunteers it makes it even more grey.

[bornadog]

Western Bulldogs not insured for record $5.9m damages payout (https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/western-bulldogs-not-insured-for-record-5-9m-damages-payout-20231114-p5ejxq.html)


The Western Bulldogs have no insurance to cover the record $5.9 million damages payout awarded by the courts for historic sex abuse by a club volunteer in the 1980s.

The club immediately declared its intent to appeal the verdict and damages awarded in the case when handed down last Thursday. The club will appeal liability and damages, a source with knowledge of the situation but not authorised to speak publicly confirmed to The Age.

Three sources with a knowledge of the Bulldogs situation confirmed that the club did not have insurance coverage for the damages awarded by the court.

A jury awarded the victim, Adam Kneale, $3.35 million for pain and suffering, $2.6 million in loss of earnings and $87,500 for future medical expenses. His lawyer said he believed it was the biggest payout in Australian legal history for an abuse survivor.

Other AFL clubs and the league are closely monitoring the Western Bulldogs case and their planned appeal, aware of other potential historic cases connected to football clubs and the likelihood that few, if any, VFL/AFL clubs had insurance at the time to cover historic cases.

The clubs that did have insurance covering those periods as far back as the 1960s might not have had policies that extended to the behaviour of their volunteers.

Two other clubs, St Kilda and Geelong, have known cases of alleged historic sexual abuse.

Two men who were timekeepers at St Kilda and operated as managers and coaches in the club?s Little League program in the 1960s and 1970s have been convicted of abusing junior players in their care, while another of the club?s Little League coaches ? former teacher Darrell Ray, now known as Ray Cosgriff ? has been charged with alleged historical sex offences, but is yet to be tried or convicted of the charges.

A former Geelong under-19s player has also commenced legal proceedings over claims of sexual abuse allegedly suffered at the club by older players in the 1980s. Geelong has confirmed the legal action against the club.

?The club understands that a historical claim of serious sexual abuse has been made by a person who was engaged with the club?s under-19?s team in the early 1980s,? Geelong said in a statement earlier this year.

The AFL and St Kilda are both signatories to the National Redress Scheme for victims of institutional sexual abuse. The NRS does not preclude a person taking civil action, such as occurred in the Western Bulldogs case. Senior legal sources, who did not wish to be identified due to the sensitive nature of such proceedings, said that the finding against the Bulldogs would encourage more victims to bypass the NRS and take civil action.

In the Western Bulldogs case, Kneale reported his abuser, Graeme Hobbs, to police in 1993, when aged 21. This led to Hobbs and another man being jailed for their crimes and their part in a paedophile ring that passed Kneale around to other men to abuse.

Long considered a financially challenged club with a relatively small supporter base, the Bulldogs have dramatically improved their fiscal position in recent years and have a strong balance sheet. In last year?s annual report, they recorded a total statutory profit of $5,188,421, with an operational profit (before redevelopment activities) of $1,363,857.

This marked seventh consecutive year of total profits exceeding $1 million.

When the case was first launched, Michael Magazanik, a partner with Rightside Legal, told this masthead he thought Kneale would be the first of many to sue an AFL club over childhood abuse.

[Testekill]

Part of the damages being that the courts let Hobbs off lightly is a pretty ridiculous thing to have as part of the suit considering that the club aren't the ones who sentenced him.

We'll take our fair whack, there wasn't the level of background checks and working with children checks back then so it was a failure of all systems back then. There are going to be a lot of stories like this coming out for a lot of sports clubs.

[ledge]

Flood gates.
When do they take into account the era that it happened and not make clubs guilty of rules that didn’t exist back then?
It’s terrible for the poor bloke but it’s a long way away from the rules in place now.

[Happy Days]

Wow. Well that explains the position we’ve taken then.

[bornadog]

Wow. Well that explains the position we’ve taken then.

Unfortunately those days many organisations, especially Sport orgs, didn't have insurance for Directors and Officers liability.

Hopefully the payout figure can be reduced.

[Testekill]

If it were something like 2.5 million then it's an absolutely fair and reasonable pay out. 6 million is going to set a precedent that will cripple the smallest teams while the bigger teams will be able to absorb it for the most part.

[ledge]

If it were something like 2.5 million then it's an absolutely fair and reasonable pay out. 6 million is going to set a precedent that will cripple the smallest teams while the bigger teams will be able to absorb it for the most part.

I think the AFL will help out as it’s going to end up being more clubs.

[Topdog]

If it were something like 2.5 million then it's an absolutely fair and reasonable pay out. 6 million is going to set a precedent that will cripple the smallest teams while the bigger teams will be able to absorb it for the most part.

Im sorry but even 2.5m is an absurd payout

[bornadog]

Im sorry but even 2.5m is an absurd payout

My wife talked to a lawyer at her work and she had a similar case recently and the payout was $2m

[Bulldog4life]

Im sorry but even 2.5m is an absurd payout

I followed the case closely and I anticipated it would be around half a mill. I was truly shocked by the jury's decision.

[Topdog]

During the case what were the Bulldogs judged to have done wrong?

[Bulldog4life]

During the case what were the Bulldogs judged to have done wrong?

The Western Bulldogs have been ordered to pay a child sex abuse victim $5.9 million in damages after the Supreme Court found the club was negligent in protecting him from harm.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/western-bulldogs/bulldogs-ordered-to-pay-59m-after-child-sex-abuse-lawsuit/news-story/298c4bca06eb33385e1a56da8e38d829

[Topdog]

The Western Bulldogs have been ordered to pay a child sex abuse victim $5.9 million in damages after the Supreme Court found the club was negligent in protecting him from harm.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/western-bulldogs/bulldogs-ordered-to-pay-59m-after-child-sex-abuse-lawsuit/news-story/298c4bca06eb33385e1a56da8e38d829

Yeah I knew that but its extremely vague. Did they break it down any further saying what we actually did poorly vs what we should have done?

[Bulldog4life]

Yeah I knew that but its extremely vague. Did they break it down any further saying what we actually did poorly vs what we should have done?

Not to my knowledge. I only read what I could in any newspaper online.

[FrediKanoute]

If it's a jury trial then there will be very little reasoning for the decision.

Was the club on the balance of probabilities negligent in its obligations in keeping a minor safe from harm. Did the club owe a duty of care to the minor to keep them safe from harm. Did the club through its acts or omissions allow a minor to be abused thereby failing in its duty of care.

The appeal is likely to be an alleged error in law in that the jury was wrong to extend the duty of care to the club for the actions of a volunteer. The key is the omissions in this case. If the facts can prove that mangement at the club knew or were made aware and did nothing, well regardless of standards now and back then, we are probably liable, but if no one in a position of authority was aware, and there was no safeguarding requirements etc back in the 80's then the claim is harder to prove and damages will be lower as a consequence - mitigating factors.

[angelopetraglia]

If the Bulldogs case resulted in ~$6m of damages. The Perth Wildcats should be facing $600m. What the Wildcasts are accused of doing is at least 100 times worse than the Bulldogs accusations https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-28/tiny-pinder-perth-wildcats-lawsuit-over-sexual-assault/102958610

[Dry Rot]

There is a new article about this on the Australian website which I cannot access behind its payroll payroll.

The headline says Child sex abuse case costs AFL's Bulldogs $7.4 million.

The copy underneath says the Western Bulldogs AFL team has added $1.5 million worth of costs to it's nearly $6 million sex abuse compensation bill.

Perhaps someone with a subscription to the site could post the article.

[hujsh]

There is a new article about this on the Australian website which I cannot access behind its payroll payroll.

The headline says Child sex abuse case costs AFL's Bulldogs $7.4 million.

The copy underneath says the Western Bulldogs AFL team has added $1.5 million worth of costs to it's nearly $6 million sex abuse compensation bill.

Perhaps someone with a subscription to the site could post the article.

Not news. Was in the financial results a while back





The financial result includes a loss from operations (before redevelopment activities) of $6,051,332 (2022: $1,363,857 profit) which comprises a legal judgement of damages and associated costs relating to the recent Supreme Court case involving the Club, totalling $7,430,490 (2022: Nil).  The Club intends to appeal this judgement.

[Dry Rot]

Not news. Was in the financial results a while back

OK missed that.

So much for The Australian and its news.

[Grantysghost]

There is a new article about this on the Australian website which I cannot access behind its payroll payroll.

The headline says Child sex abuse case costs AFL's Bulldogs $7.4 million.

The copy underneath says the Western Bulldogs AFL team has added $1.5 million worth of costs to it's nearly $6 million sex abuse compensation bill.

Perhaps someone with a subscription to the site could post the article.

Pay wall smay wall.

https://archive.is/2023.12.09-030007/https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/afl-bulldogs-face-74m-child-sex-abuse-bill/news-story/25aa4ac5a422eacef44098b47e917739?amp&nk=10d39e7c50597df09b1949b348fbc662-1702090816

[Twodogs]

Pay wall smay wall.

https://archive.is/2023.12.09-030007/https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/afl-bulldogs-face-74m-child-sex-abuse-bill/news-story/25aa4ac5a422eacef44098b47e917739?amp&nk=10d39e7c50597df09b1949b348fbc662-1702090816

Interesting. Can you do the same with the articles underneath that one;


Dogs’ financials remain in limbo until compensation appeal



Revealed: How Dogs will pay $5.9m legal bill



Please and thank you.

[Grantysghost]

Interesting. Can you do the same with the articles underneath that one;


Dogs’ financials remain in limbo until compensation appeal



Revealed: How Dogs will pay $5.9m legal bill



Please and thank you.

https://archive.is/2023.12.10-025623/https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/afl/bulldogs-announce-loss-of-6051332-due-to-child-sex-abuse-case-prior-to-appeal/news-story/87b528845ecc4a313adffbf57542ec4d?amp&nk=14a700a9299f4b3b93bb631d3615e33b-1702176991

https://archive.is/2023.12.10-030240/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/news/western-bulldogs-could-require-loan-to-pay-59m-compensation-payout/news-story/81d896f867a71be6bd79bd6878716b07?amp&ved=2ahUKEwjE2JOo8IODAxXiyzgGHeuKAM0QFnoECA4QBQ&usg=AOvVaw2MGOVGCiLndxm5200gJ9Kx&nk=7fd27e2a9f5abbf0786e69120cb0c0a7-1702177367

[bornadog]

https://archive.is/2023.12.10-025623/https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/afl/bulldogs-announce-loss-of-6051332-due-to-child-sex-abuse-case-prior-to-appeal/news-story/87b528845ecc4a313adffbf57542ec4d?amp&nk=14a700a9299f4b3b93bb631d3615e33b-1702176991

https://archive.is/2023.12.10-030240/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/news/western-bulldogs-could-require-loan-to-pay-59m-compensation-payout/news-story/81d896f867a71be6bd79bd6878716b07?amp&ved=2ahUKEwjE2JOo8IODAxXiyzgGHeuKAM0QFnoECA4QBQ&usg=AOvVaw2MGOVGCiLndxm5200gJ9Kx&nk=7fd27e2a9f5abbf0786e69120cb0c0a7-1702177367

These never load up for me

[Axe Man]

Western Bulldogs set to face second legal claim over historical sexual abuse (https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/western-bulldogs-set-to-face-second-legal-claim-over-historical-sexual-abuse/news-story/75a346b4a1aa4ce3a71c7b9db57605f9)

The Western Bulldogs are facing a second potentially devastating legal action over alleged abuse by a convicted pedophile who volunteered at the club.

The alleged victim, now 51, claims he was abused by child predator Graeme Hobbs in 1987 after meeting him at Whitten Oval.

Hobbs’ first victim, Adam Kneale, was awarded $5.9 million in November 2023, after the club stalwart had admitted abusing him, was jailed and the Bulldogs were found negligent in protecting him from harm.

The landmark judgement was hailed as an “earthquake” in Australia’s legal system, with the sum dwarfing previous compensation payouts to abuse survivors.

It was also the first successful claim against an AFL club.

Kneale was aged 11 when the “jack of all trades” Hobbs first raped him at the ground in 1984.

The Western Bulldogs have challenged the negligence verdict in the Kneale case, with the hearing scheduled to start in the Court of Appeal on Friday.

But a second alleged victim – a schoolmate of Kneale – has now claimed in Supreme Court documents he too was befriended and abused by Hobbs at the club and off-site.

He alleged Hobbs twice took him, when he was 14, from the club to an Essendon house where he was abused.

On one occasion, he alleged he was forced to watch Hobbs rape Kneale, while another time he claimed he was asked to strip naked and Hobbs tried to rape him.

Hobbs, who is now dead, was a club volunteer, fundraiser and under 19s training staff member.

Rightside Legal partner Michael Magazanik, who represents Kneale and the alleged second victim, said both abuse survivors were committed to holding the club to account.

“Both of my clients have lived with their shocking consequences of their abuse for decades,’’ Mr Magazanik said.

“It has caused mental illness, torment and suffering. Hobbs and his pedophile friends were convicted and jailed but that doesn’t give their victims their lives back.

“That’s why both my clients want justice from the Western Bulldogs and it’s why the jury (in the first case), six Victorians chosen at random, thought justice was required.’’

Mr Magazanik said the Bulldogs’ appeal had ‘’prolonged the torment of the survivor’’.

“That’s why the second survivor will have to take the club to another trial,’’ he said.

“The Bulldogs’ decision to deny any legal responsibility for these men who were abused at their ground, means we have renewed our search for other victims of Hobbs, and people who may know something about Hobbs’ offending at the Western Bulldogs to gather more information for any future trial.’’

Mr Magazanik said that in his experience of litigating sexual abuse claims, appeals against jury verdicts were very rare.

Acting for the Bulldogs in Friday’s appeal is high-profile silk Bret Walker, who successfully represented Cardinal George Pell at his appeal in the High Court in 2019.

A club spokesperson said: “The Western Bulldogs can confirm that a statement of claim has been issued against the club relating to allegations from the 1980’s.

“The club intends to defend the matter, noting that it treats any allegation of this nature with the utmost seriousness and care for all involved. With the matter concerning Mr Adam Kneale scheduled to be heard in the Court of Appeal this week, the club will not be making any further comment on either matter at this time.”

[Grantysghost]

Don't know what to say really.

This abomination of an ex life form could bring a place that brings joy (and despair) to thousands to its knees.

[FrediKanoute]

Awful situation and nothing good comes of it.

This is though a very revisionist decision. It is about applying 21st century standards to the organisation in the 1980's. Yes there were failings, and the club has probably failed in its duty of care against 21st C requirements, but I struggle to justify that level of pay out. If hat level had been awarded in the 1980's the club would have gone broke

[jDogs]

Gee, Brett Walker is representing the club at appeal? This is pretty massive.

[D Mitchell]

Bret Walker KC. Represented Cardinal Pell in the High Court, made the Court of Appeal look second rate. For the sake of the club and the reputation of the state judiciary, let?s hope the bench performed better yesterday. Judgment reserved.