Tyrendarra Club Apologizes for Reinstating Sex Offender
The Tyrendarra Football Netball Club has banned convicted sex offender James Williams from any involvement with the club, admitting it was wrong to welcome him back after his release from jail.
The south‑west Victorian club has been under fierce pressure since an ABC investigation revealed it allowed Williams to return last year, despite his conviction for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl on a post‑season football trip.
This week, the club’s committee bowed to that pressure.
“We are sorry,” its statement read — a blunt admission that the original decision had badly misread community standards at a club “built around children”.
The ABC understands Williams was removed from the club following the media coverage of the case.
A club under fire
The backlash has been swift and public. Sponsors have walked away, including south‑west Victorian MP Roma Britnell, and anger among members and locals has spilled onto social media.
The club’s apology, posted online on Wednesday afternoon, was timed ahead of a face‑to‑face meeting with members. An earlier meeting set for Tuesday was abandoned after the location was shared on social media, raising concerns about safety and tensions boiling over.
In its statement, the committee conceded it had failed its own community.
“We accept we did not give enough weight to what our community rightly expects of a Club built around children, and those we let down deserve a straightforward apology,” it said.
“We also acknowledge those who have spoken about how this was handled, and the trust we have lost with them.”
Victim at the centre
The club directly acknowledged the teenage girl Williams assaulted — then 15 — at a concert in Adelaide in 2022, stressing it recognised the harm done to her.
It extended its apology beyond the victim and her family.
“To anyone in our community affected by this episode and its coverage, we are sorry for the distress it has caused,” the committee said.
Process under question
Tyrendarra insisted it had followed a “careful process” before allowing Williams to return, citing expert advice and broad consultation within the club.
That claim now sits awkwardly against its admission that the decision was wrong.
During its investigation, the ABC asked the club to outline exactly what steps it had taken before readmitting Williams. The club did not respond to those questions.
New standards promised
With its reputation damaged and trust eroded, Tyrendarra’s committee has moved to lock in tougher standards.
It has committed to a binding code of conduct for players, coaches, officials and volunteers, with explicit grounds for removal over behaviour both on and off the field.
The club knows words alone will not repair the damage.
“We do not expect these commitments to be taken on trust alone. We intend to be judged on what we do from here,” the statement concluded.
For a community club that prides itself on being a hub for families and kids, that judgment has already begun.
