A shocking verdict for AFL legend Nicky Winmar has left him visibly devastated in court, sparking a wave of intense public reaction
AFL great Nicky Winmar found guilty of assault, appears shattered in court
AFL legend Nicky Winmar has been found guilty of assaulting a woman in a case heard in Victoria, Australia.
AFL great Nicky Winmar has been found guilty of dragging a woman by the hair and smashing her head against a door.
Delivering his verdict on Friday at Bendigo Magistrates’ Court, Magistrate Trieu Huynh ruled that the victim’s account was truthful and credible, rejecting Winmar’s claims that the allegations were fabricated. The court heard the incident took place on May 14, 2025, in Cohuna, where Winmar allegedly became suddenly enraged, grabbing the woman’s arm, twisting it, and dragging her by the hair before repeatedly smashing her head against a wooden door.
The woman also accused him of pushing her into a wall, spitting at her, and yelling directly in her face. Winmar admitted to striking her arm but denied any serious assault, insisting instead that he had been the one attacked.
After reviewing the evidence, the court convicted the 60-year-old of two counts of common assault and one count of unlawful assault. However, he was acquitted of intentionally causing injury, with the magistrate finding that the victim’s pain did not meet the legal threshold required for that charge.
Winmar, who appeared in court in person, looked visibly distressed as the decision was handed down, dropping his head into his hands. He is scheduled to return to court for a pre-sentence hearing at a later date.
A pioneering figure in Australian football, Winmar made history as the first Aboriginal player to reach 200 AFL games. He finished his career with 230 appearances for St Kilda and 21 for the Western Bulldogs. Beyond his on-field achievements, he is widely remembered for his stand against racism, most notably in 1993 when he lifted his jersey and pointed to his skin in front of a hostile crowd.
He is currently also co-leading a landmark class action against the AFL over racism in the Victorian Supreme Court.
