By Rachael Ward and Holly Hales
Historical sex charges have been dropped against Australian Football Hall of Fame great Carl Ditterich.
The Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions was concerned there were no reasonable prospects he would be convicted.
Carl Ditterich pictured in 2011.Credit: Pat Scala
“Decisions about whether to discontinue a prosecution are never made lightly,” a spokesperson said in a statement on Friday.
“And after careful consideration of the evidence it was determined that there are not reasonable prospects of conviction.”
The 79-year-old had been due to stand trial in the County Court over the alleged incident and had denied the allegations.
He was accused of sexually abusing a girl under the age of 16 on August 27, 1985, after he had retired from the Victorian Football League.
The alleged incident took place in a parked car in a backstreet of Moorabbin after the pair had gone to buy alcohol.
Ditterich was charged with three counts of indecent assault and one count of gross indecency in April 2024.
The former ruckman played 285 games for St Kilda and Melbourne during his 17-year career.
He was one of the most reported players in AFL/VFL history, appearing before the tribunal 19 times and being suspended for 30 matches.
Carl Ditterich in 1978.Credit: Michael Rayner
He missed St Kilda’s only premiership in 1966 while serving a six-match ban.
Ditterich is a member of St Kilda’s team of the century and was also inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
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