Former AFL Player Carl Ditterich Faces Court Over Historic Allegations

Renowned AFL Hall of Fame inductee, Carl Ditterich, has come face to face with the woman accusing him of historical child sexual abuse. The 78-year-old appeared today at Melbourne Magistrates Court for a committal hearing, following his charge in June for historical child sex offences.

Ditterich, a former prominent ruckman, is facing allegations of assaulting a girl under the age of 16 dating back to August 27, 1985. This incident reportedly occurred after Ditterich had retired from the Victorian Football League.

The charges against him include three counts of indecent assault and one count of gross indecency. Known on the field as the “Blonde Bombshell,” Ditterich began his celebrated career in 1963 at 17 years old with the St Kilda Football Club. Over his career, he played 285 games for both the Saints and Melbourne, eventually taking on the role of playing coach for the Demons for two years.

Post-retirement in 1980, Ditterich, alongside his family, invested in a wheat farm near Swan Hill. In 1999, he unsuccessfully ran as an independent candidate for the Swan Hill seat in the Victorian state election.

During today’s court proceedings, before closing to allow the alleged victim to testify, it was noted that her diary will be a crucial piece of evidence for the prosecution. An additional seven witnesses are expected to testify as the committal hearing is set to continue tomorrow.