Bulldogs’ payout to sex-abuse victim halved on appeal to $2.6 million

A landmark sexual abuse payout of $5.9 million has been more than halved after the Western Bulldogs Football Club appealed an order to pay a survivor of historical child abuse.

The Western Bulldogs, formerly Footscray Football Club, had appealed the multimillion-dollar sum awarded to Adam Kneale by a jury last year for abuse he suffered at the hands of a club volunteer – the largest payout to an abuse survivor in Australia.

Adam Kneale (centre) arrives at the Court of Appeal in Melbourne on Thursday.Credit: AAP Image/Joel Carrett

Kneale, who was abused by volunteer Graeme Hobbs, declined to speak publicly before he read the court’s judgment, but his lawyer, Michael Magazanik, said outside court the verdict was a landmark win for sexual abuse damages, despite the significant reduction in the award.

Magazanik said the revised $2.6 million payout was still a win because the Court of Appeal rejected the rest of the AFL club’s claims.

“What this judgment underlines is that the Western Bulldogs allowed a paedophile to freely roam the premises, groom kids, abuse kids and destroy lives, and now the Bulldogs are going to pay a hefty price for that failure,” he said.

“That underlines the impact that sexual abuse has on survivors, and is a recognition by the court of the grievous wrong done to Adam as a child at the Western Bulldogs.

Adam Kneale in 2023 after winning his Supreme Court action against the Western Bulldogs, formerly Footscray.Credit: Justin McManus

“The Bulldogs have dragged him through a two-year court process. They’re trying to deny this abuse survivor, a man who has a conviction against the Bulldog staffer, to try and deny him a single cent.”

Kneale, 51, launched legal action against the Bulldogs after he suffered abuse between 1984 and 1990 at the hands of Hobbs, who has since died.

Hobbs first sexually abused Kneale when he was 11 or 12 at an administration building at the club’s home ground in 1984.

Following a four-week Supreme Court trial, a jury of six found the Bulldogs were negligent and awarded $5,943,151 in damages, including $3,250,000 for Kneale’s pain and suffering.

The Bulldogs launched an appeal against the jury’s finding, asking for it to be overturned and appealing the award amount.

Their lawyers argued that the “red flags” reported to the club’s leadership about Hobbs – including that he was a “sleazy character” in a trench coat – were not evidence enough to prove he would go on to commit child sexual abuse.

But the Court of Appeal struck out all appeal claims except one on Thursday.

The judges allowed the Bulldogs’ appeal against the pain and suffering amount to be overturned and reduced Kneale’s payout to $2,637,573.

Bulldogs barrister Geraldine Gray asked the judges to allow the club 28 days to pay the amount.

The court also ordered the Melbourne-based club to pay 70 per cent of its appeal costs.

The Bulldogs have been contacted for comment.

With AAP

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