Football legend Carl Ditterich is facing several charges over alleged historic child sex offences.

The 78-year-old was charged by the Bayside Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation team.

The alleged incident involves one victim at Heatherton in 1985.

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Ditterich, who had retired from league football in 1980, is charged with three counts of indecent assault and one count of gross indecency.

He did not appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for a brief mention on Friday.

A lawyer stood in his place and submitted a medical certificate from Bendigo Health to explain Ditterich’s absence.

He is due back in court again on June 18.

Ditterich debuted for St Kilda at the age of 17 and became one of the VFL’s leading ruckmen.

But he was also frequently in trouble with the tribunal, costing him 30 matches — including the Saints’ 1966 grand final win — during his career.

Ditterich tallied 285 games for the Saints and Melbourne and was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

A year earlier he had been named in St Kilda’s team of the 20th century.

“St Kilda Football Club is aware of historical charges laid against Carl Ditterich relating to an alleged incident after his playing career,” the Saints said on Friday.

“As the matter is currently before the courts, the club will not provide further comment.”

The AFL Commission stripped disgraced legend Barry Cable of his Australian Football Hall of Fame honours in 2023 after a judge found he sexually abused a Perth girl at the height of his playing career.

The North Melbourne (VFL), Perth and East Perth (both WAFL) premiership player had been upgraded to ‘Legend’ status in 2012.

– with AAP