Women abandon football club after sex offender's return

Megan Latham is hit by an uneasy feeling as she steps onto the Tyrendarra recreation reserve.

It's a frosty morning in south-west Victoria. The grass is slick from overnight rain.

It's the first time she's been on the oval since the end of Tyrendarra's inaugural women's football season in 2022.

Not because she was injured, too busy or no good, but because of the club's response to a shocking incident on an end of season footy trip.

Megan Latham spent one year playing football with Tyrendarra in south-west Victoria. (ABC News: Daniel Miles)

As rumours of the incident and his arrest filtered through the clubrooms, Ms Latham says the official response was silence.

"It seemed more like, 'Let's pretend this didn't happen', which was really disappointing, particularly when it impacts so many women.

"I would describe it as … minimising it, hiding it, not addressing it."

James Williams was 20 years old when, during Tyrendarra's end-of-year footy trip, he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl who was attending a concert in Adelaide's CBD with her mother.

He was bailed the next day and just months later was back playing football with his teammates.

"I think they're saying there's no consequences, or, 'Sorry, we're not responsible for giving out consequences based on what you did on our football trip,'" she said.

Megan Latham is speaking publicly about her decision to leave the club for the first time. (ABC News: Daniel Miles)

"It was really disappointing and uncomfortable and frustrating too, that there didn't seem to be any action taken about it.

"I didn't want to go through the process of them justifying that behaviour or trying to convince me," she said.

"Things like sexual assault are very stigmatised and I want to say around here, it can be really defended. And I didn't feel like I could have that conversation or argument … particularly [with] people that I'd grown so close to."

This story is part of the ABC's ongoing crowd-sourced series exploring cultural issues in grassroots football.

Megan Latham says she's taking a stand by speaking out. (ABC News: Daniel Miles)

When Williams's case eventually made it to court, concerning details emerged about the night in question and the broader culture at the club.

After a day of drinking and drug-taking, Williams and some teammates decided to go to a gig in Adelaide's CBD.

During the show, Williams forcefully sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl in front of her mother, the court heard.

James Williams was learning cabinetry at the time of his offending. (Supplied)

When the girl's mother attempted