AFL club Western Bulldogs rocked by historical child sexual abuse scandal

[jazzadogs]

The club's special leave application to the High Court has been dismissed with costs awarded against us.

The club is now in a precarious position with several other legal actions from persons making claims against the club in relation to Hobbs needing to be resolved.

This situation with the courts and payouts makes me genuinely worried about the future of the club. Is that fair?

I would like to think that the billion dollar AFL will support us through this, but history isn't on our side there...

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

This outcome doesn't feel right, and I'm very sympathetic to the victims of an evil man. But we've exhausted all avenues to appeal, so we're in a real jam to say the least. We are going to be back to square 1 debt wise again I would imagine.

[Prince Imperial]

This situation with the courts and payouts makes me genuinely worried about the future of the club. Is that fair?

I would like to think that the billion dollar AFL will support us through this, but history isn't on our side there...

Yes, that is fair. The club doesn't have the cash reserves and will have to go heavily into debt again.

The club has been been receiving 2-3 million less $ in variable funding from the AFL than the Lions, Saints and Roos for a number of years now so we have a strong case for a substantial increase to help deal with these circumstances.

[SonofScray]

Pretty catastrophic for us as a Club.

Obviously the system has determined otherwise, but I just can't move past the idea that the Club at the time would have been equipped to have addressed it any better than it did. Or expected to, at least. Maybe it's just bias, or I'm being too generous. The skills and knowledge, governance, professionalism etc just wouldn't have been there. Sadly, to the detriment of vulnerable children then and ultimately the Club as a whole now.

[Grantysghost]

Be interesting to read the findings. Applying a governance ruling retrospectively seems an odd outcome legally, certainly sets a precedent that would be keeping a few up at night.

Imagine every local football club (which we really were akin to back then) needing to keep every volunteer in check back in the 80s. It was a different time; people trusted more.

I really don't know what I feel about this, very conflicted to say the least. Wipes out years and years of great work. Thank god for 2016.

[hujsh]

Thankfully this dangerous football club was made an example of. The way the hid pedophiles in the Vatican and Israel means they deserved the harshest punishment possible

[soupman]

Obviously puts the club in a difficult position financially, and a very vulnerable one going forward. I assume in many of these sort of cases, there is more than just 1 victim. I have complete sympathy for the victim, and am happy for the club to be punished for not having correct governance, but question the sustainability of setting this precedent of a payout when if more victims come forward (who would be encouraged by this, which is good) it could snowball to be multiples of the amount. If 3 more victims come forward and were successful, it is looking like a $10M payout for the club for poor governance.

Again not suggesting the victims are not worthy of compensation and wouldn't suggest any amount could fix the consequences of what could have happened to them.

[hujsh]

Obviously puts the club in a difficult position financially, and a very vulnerable one going forward. I assume in many of these sort of cases, there is more than just 1 victim. I have complete sympathy for the victim, and am happy for the club to be punished for not having correct governance, but question the sustainability of setting this precedent of a payout when if more victims come forward (who would be encouraged by this, which is good) it could snowball to be multiples of the amount. If 3 more victims come forward and were successful, it is looking like a $10M payout for the club for poor governance.

Again not suggesting the victims are not worthy of compensation and wouldn't suggest any amount could fix the consequences of what could have happened to them.

If other organisations that systematically hid this stuff are retroactively given similar punishments I'll wear it. Seems BS for it to only apply to a football club

[jeemak]

I'm sure there's nuance that I'm not across, though I don't understand how we can be responsible for a volunteer's actions while the Catholic Church isn't for a volunteer priest's actions.

[D Mitchell]

Kneale succeeded on the negligence principle, that the Club owed him a duty of care, that it was forseeable that the volunteer would molest him, that the Club knew about the risk to Kneale and was negligent in allowing the abuse to occur. In 2022 the Supreme Court found for the Plaintiff against the Church for breach of duty for abuse by Fr Gannon but in 2023, against the Plaintiff for breach of duty for abuse by Fr Coffey. Each case is different.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

I'm sure there's nuance that I'm not across, though I don't understand how we can be responsible for a volunteer's actions while the Catholic Church isn't for a volunteer priest's actions.

On the same note, I wonder what would've happened if it were Geelong and not us in this predicament.

[Grantysghost]

On the same note, I wonder what would've happened if it were Geelong and not us in this predicament.

They would have built a new "stand for the martyrs" funded by the barrels of Pork.

[Bigdog]

On the same note, I wonder what would've happened if it were Geelong and not us in this predicament.

I believe they will have a case. Let’s see what happens.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/former-teen-footballer-sues-geelong-football-club-over-alleged-rape-20230408-p5cz08.html

[Uninformed]

Disgusting

[BornInDroopSt'54]

I read it all because it is right to be aware of what happened at our clubhouse, but I stopped when paedophile ring was stated
Abusers know how to target and become part of a trusted organisation. A psychopath at work, knowing how to cover up and blackmail victims with guilt.
Overwhelming, such evil makes me feel violently angry, not children for gods sake!
Thanks for the heads up, we need to be vigilant.
WOOF had a Chops. supposedly Ernie Sigley I think.
I'm sure the name was innocent.

[The Underdog]

I read it all because it is right to be aware of what happened at our clubhouse, but I stopped when paedophile ring was stated
Abusers know how to target and become part of a trusted organisation. A psychopath at work, knowing how to cover up and blackmail victims with guilt.
Overwhelming, such evil makes me feel violently angry, not children for gods sake!
Thanks for the heads up, we need to be vigilant.
WOOF had a Chops. supposedly Ernie Sigley I think.
I'm sure the name was innocent.

Not sure what that last couple of sentences is meant to mean given the context. Chops wasn’t actually Ernie Sigley. Pretty sure he was known as Chops here and ES on Bigfooty, but he definitely wasn’t really Ernie if that’s what you’re saying. And definitely not sure how it ties in to the rest of your post and not sure I want to.