An investigation into Gary Ablett Senior has cleared the football legend over historical allegations of sexual assault after police found insufficient evidence to press charges.
Police confirmed they had dropped the investigation on Monday.
“Central Gippsland Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team have finished their investigation into a 57-year-old Grovedale man in relation to historic sexual assault allegations,” a police spokesperson said.
“There was not enough evidence to support criminal prosecution. Victoria Police will not be proceeding with the matter.”
A woman levelled allegations in 2017, accusing Mr Ablett of sexually assaulting her in a car in country Victoria in the 1970s.
Newscorp first reported in March this year that police had questioned him over the claims.
The three-time Coleman Medallist has had a troubled history with drugs and alcohol following the end of his AFL career.
In 2002 he pleaded guilty to four charges of possession and use of ecstasy and heroin relating to the death of former barmaid Alisha Horan in 2000.
In March 2001, coroner Noreen Toohey found that Ms Horan died from a combination of heroin, ecstasy and amphetamines.
Ms Toohey restated submissions by a barrister for Ms Horan’s family that Ablett had failed to “protect their young daughter when she was in trouble”.
He was fined $1500.
Gary Ablett Senior played 248 games for Hawthorn and Geelong, won three Coleman Medals and was an eight-time All-Australian.
He kicked 1031 goals, the fifth highest in history, and was in 2006 voted the best Geelong Football Club player of all-time.
His sons Nathan and Gary Junior played in the Geelong Cats side that won the club’s first premiership in 44 years in 2017.
Gary Jnr has won two Brownlow Medals, and is widely considered to be the greatest player of the modern era and one of the all-time greats.
In 1990, Mr Ablett was placed on a $10,000 good behaviour bond after pleading guilty to assaulting a man he found sitting in a car with his estranged wife.
