AFL great Carl Ditterich appears in court for historic sexual abuse charges
AFL Hall of Famer Carl Ditterich has come face to face with the woman he is accused of sexually abusing when she was a child.
The 78-year-old appeared before Melbourne Magistrates Court today for a committal hearing after he was charged with historic child sex offences in June.
The former ruckman is accused of assaulting a girl under the age of 16 on August 27, 1985, after he had retired from the Victorian Football League.
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Former AFL player Carl Ditterich (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
He has been charged with three counts of indecent assault and one count of gross indecency.
The VFL hardman made his debut with the St Kilda Football Club in 1963 as a 17-year-old, becoming a household name over the ensuing seasons.
Nicknamed the "Blonde Bombshell", he went on to play 285 games for the Saints and Melbourne, coaching the Demons for two years as a playing coach.
After his retirement in 1980, he purchased a wheat farm with his family near Swan Hill.
Ditterich also stood as an independent candidate for the seat of Swan Hill in the 1999 Victorian state election but was unsuccessful.
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Carl Ditterich played 285 games for St Kilda and Melbourne. MICHAEL RAYNER
The court heard today, before it was closed for the alleged victim to give evidence, that her diary will form part of the prosecution's case.
Another seven witnesses are expected to give evidence with the committal hearing resuming tomorrow.
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