sport news AFL legend Barry Cable's alleged nickname for his manhood revealed at child sex ... trends now

Legendary Australian Rules footballer Barry Cable sexually abused a Perth girl at his family home as his wife and children slept, a court has been told.

The alleged assault was one of multiple incidents during years of alleged 'degrading' sexual abuse that left his victim suffering lifelong trauma.

The now 79-year-old, who denies the claims and is not facing criminal charges, is being sued for damages over the alleged abuse that started in the late 1960s when Cable was at the height of his playing career.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she was often at the Cable's family home and the abuse started with the footballer exposing himself to her and asking questions about her sexual experience when she was about 13.

The footballer also allegedly groped the teen under her hot pink pyjamas that the Cable family had bought her as she lay watching television and his family were in bed.

'I hated it and it felt so bad but he never took any notice of me saying no, saying stop,' the woman told the Western Australian District Court civil trial on Wednesday.

'Eventually he got me to touch his penis. He used to call it his totem pole.'