LEGENDARY footballer Barry Cable repeatedly sexually abused a Perth girl while at the height of his playing career, a judge has found.

Cable, 79, was sued in the District Court of Western Australia by a woman who alleged Cable abused her over a five-year period beginning in 1968 when she was aged 12 or 13.

After overseeing a civil trial earlier this year, Judge Mark Herron on Friday found the abuse had taken place, awarding the woman $818,700 in damages.

But his victim may be unlikely to receive substantive financial compensation after Cable was declared bankrupt prior to the trial.

Cable has persistently denied abusing the woman and has not been charged with any criminal offences.

Cable did not actively defend the proceedings, instead relying on written material already provided.

His victim told the court she had a vivid recollection of the abuse, assisted by diary entries from the time.

The trial also heard evidence from four other women who alleged Cable had sexually abused them when they were children.

Cable had made several unsuccessful attempts in recent years to have the proceedings permanently thrown out.

The most recent challenge was dismissed by the WA Court of Appeal last year.

An AFL spokesperson said: "The AFL acknowledges the court’s findings today and has no further update at this stage." 

One of football's most decorated players, Cable was in 2012 elevated to Legend status in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

He had an illustrious playing career for Perth and East Perth in the WAFL and North Melbourne in the VFL, going on to coach in both leagues.

In 2005, he was named by the AFL as a player and coach in the Indigenous Team of the Century.

The League also confirmed that the AFL Commission has approved a change to the Hall of Fame rules that will give the committee the power to "suspend or revoke the Hall of Fame membership of a player, coach or official who was convicted of an indictable offence in court, or engaged in conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game."

Any Hall of Fame members subject to this process would have the chance to respond, and the final decision on whether any Hall of Fame or Legend status is revoked would be made by the AFL Commission. 

The rule change does not come into effect until after this year's Australian Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony, to be held on June 27.