Ex-West Coast Eagles player sacked by local footy club and stood down by First Peoples’ Assembly following allegations of child sexual offences

A former West Coast Eagles star has been stood down from his role with the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria and had his contract with a local footy club terminated after he was charged with alleged historical child sex offences.

Josh Hill, who played for both the Western Bulldogs and the West Coast Eagles, appeared at Northbridge Court in Perth this weekend over the allegations.

The 36-year-old was released on bail but will appear in court again in April.

According to The West Australian, the charges are alleged to include four counts of sexually penetrating a child over 13 and under 16. The outlet reports three of those alleged offences are understood to have taken place in 2015.

The former West Coast star was not required to make a plea during the hearing and declined to comment to the outlet as he left the court.

The report adds that the former footy player was required to ‘surrender his passport’ to a court in Victoria and ‘forfeit his working with children card to police’.

He had signed for Point Cook in January, but the football club has today moved to sever ties with the former Eagles forward, who had played in the 2015 AFL Grand Final and was a rising star nominee back in 2008.

Former AFL star Josh Hill has been axed by his local footy club after he appeared in court this weekend charged with alleged historical child sex offences

Hill returned 151 goals in 107 matches, before being delisted by the footy club at the end of the 2017 season

‘The Point Cook Football Club’s executives were yesterday made aware of developments and met this morning in relation to senior men’s player Josh Hill; including that he has been charged by Western Australian Police with offences that are now before the courts,’ a club statement said.

‘This is a very serious matter and it is being treated as such by the club.

‘Josh Hill has been stood down as a senior player and we have rescinded his playing contract and his transfer from his previous club has been cancelled.

‘The club acknowledges the importance of the presumption of innocence in this case and also the need to treat all parties with respect and understanding.

‘It is now important that the legal process be allowed to run its course and as such the club cannot and will not make any further comment in relation to these charges while the matter is under police investigation and before the courts.’

The football club had announced his signing last month in a now-deleted social media post.

Hill, who was born in Subiaco, was drafted by the Western Bulldogs as pick No 61 in the 2006 National Draft before making his debut in the 2007 season.

He would go on to play 66 games for the Victorian side before being traded to the West Coast in 2012, where he would return 151 goals in 107 matches, before being delisted by the footy club at the end of the 2017 season.

The 36-year-old was released on bail but will appear in court again in April. 

The father-of-two has also, according to The Herald Sun, been stood down from his role as a youth coordinator for the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, who took swift action on Monday following the news.

‘We have been informed of a matter involving serious interstate criminal charges relating to an employee. We are very concerned about this news,’ a spokesperson for the First People’s Assembly said.

‘The employee has been stood down immediately.’

Hill is understood to have been hired to the position with the Assembly in February 2023.

They added that they had been unaware of the allegations against Hill.

‘We were not aware of these charges until now, we understand they relate to alleged events in 2015. Assembly staff have been informed.’

Hill is due to appear in court again on April 14.