AFL legend Nicky Winmar has been found guilty of assaulting a woman by dragging her by the hair and banging her head against a door in regional Victoria. The 60-year-old St Kilda icon appeared in Bendigo Magistrates Court on Friday, where Magistrate Trieu Huynh convicted him on three charges after finding the victim’s testimony credible.
Details of the Attack
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, alleged the assault occurred at Cohuna in northern Victoria on May 14, 2025. She testified that Winmar became unexpectedly angry, grabbed her arm, twisted it, and then dragged her by the hair. He also pushed her against a wall, spat and yelled in her face, and repeatedly smashed her head into a wooden door.
Winmar admitted slapping the woman’s arm above the elbow but denied throwing punches or causing her to fall. He claimed she was the aggressor, punching him five or six times in the face. However, Magistrate Huynh found the woman to be a credible and truthful witness, accepting her account of the incident.
Verdict and Sentencing
The magistrate convicted Winmar of two counts of common law assault and one count of unlawful assault, relating to grabbing the woman by the arm, dragging her by the hair, and hitting her head against a door. He was acquitted on a fourth charge of intentionally causing injury, as the court found the woman’s “substantial pain” did not meet the legal threshold for that offence.
During the hearing, Winmar dropped his head into his hands upon hearing the verdict. He will face a pre-sentence hearing at a later date, where the court will determine his punishment.
Background and Legacy
Winmar is a revered figure in Australian rules football, becoming the first Aboriginal player to reach 200 AFL games. He finished his career with 230 games for St Kilda and 21 for the Western Bulldogs. He is famous for standing up to racial abuse in 1993, when he lifted his jumper and pointed at his skin in front of a hostile Collingwood crowd.
Currently, Winmar is co-leading a landmark racism class action against the AFL in the Victorian Supreme Court, seeking justice for past discrimination. The assault conviction adds a complex chapter to his legacy.
