Former Sydney Swans coach sued over shock sexual abuse claims A promising young footballer robbed of the chance to play AFL is suing the Sydney Swans after he alleges he was sexually abused by his development coach over a traumatic two-year period. Thomas Marino (not his real name) was only a boy when Mark Heaney, who spent the mid-2000s coaching junior footy players in Melbourne’s east, allegedly started grooming him after he was recruited to the Sydney Swans Junior Academy more than a decade ago. Mr Marino has now launched legal action against the Swans and Heaney, seeking compensation for “injury, loss and damage” he claims were caused by the club’s failures to keep him safe from a predator. In a Supreme Court writ filed this week, it is alleged Heaney took advantage of his position as a coach at the NSW academy to groom and sexually abuse Mr Marino. Cameron Doig from Arnold Thomas & Becker said his client had hopes of a successful career in the league. “Those hopes were dashed after Heaney used his status as the Swans development coach and his influence over our client’s career to groom and allegedly sexually abuse him,” he claimed. “Our client became hostile to authority, formed negative relationships, and turned to drugs. “He lost his love for football.” Mr Doig said more alleged victims could come forward. “Unfortunately, we don’t think we’ve seen the end of these claims,” Mr Doig said. “We continue to have concerns that there may be more people who to date have been reluctant to come forward with allegations against this coach. “It’s very difficult to know exactly how many survivors there could be.” Mr Marino, who is suing for negligence, has claimed the club owed a duty of care to him to take precautions and protect him from being exposed to sexual abuse. Read the full story at The Herald Sun. Contact us As a leading Australian Abuse firm, we have helped hundreds of brave abuse survivors obtain compensation for physical, psychological and sexual abuse in institutional settings. Money can’t take the pain away, however, it can help achieve clarity and closure. We have extensive experience in obtaining ground-breaking multi-million dollar payments for our clients. For more information, visit our Sexual Abuse webpage. For a confidential conversation with a lawyer, call us today on 1300 333 300 or send us a message at [email protected]