Legendary Australian Rules footballer Barry Cable is facing allegations he repeatedly sexually abused a Perth teenager during his playing career.

The football world was in a state of shock on Tuesday when it was revealed Cable, 79, is being sued for damages in the District Court of Western Australia and is set to face a civil trial beginning this week.

He denies all allegations and is not facing criminal charges.

An order preventing Cable from being identified in relation to the allegations was overturned ahead of the trial.

In a further bombshell, it was revealed Cable is now bankrupt.

The woman alleges Cable sexually abused her between 1968, when she was aged 12, and 1973.

She claims she suffered psychiatric harm as a result of sexual behaviour and harassment by Cable which she alleges continued until she was in her mid-30s.

Cable’s legacy as one of the godfathers of Australian Rules Football is in danger of being tarnished forever after the sexual abuse allegations.

One of football’s most decorated players, Cable was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and was elevated to “Legend” status in 2012.

He’s also an official Legend in the WA Football Hall of Fame and a Sport Australia Hall of Fame member.

But those honours could be in doubt following the shocking allegations levelled against him.

Cable’s star exploits for North Melbourne — which included two premierships —during his 115-game VFL career at the club meant he was a hero in Victoria.

But in his home state of WA, Cable was more like a god.

At WAFL club Perth, he won three flags and seven best-and-fairest awards across his 225 games there.

He won the 1978 flag with East Perth and represented WA 20 times.

If the allegations against Cable are proven it would go down as the biggest scandal to rock WA football.

Cable’s name sits right up there alongside fellow WA legend Graham “Polly” Farmer and fellow WA sporting royalty such as Dennis Lillee, Herb Elliott and Ric Charlesworth.

The trial before Judge Herron is due to begin on Wednesday.