Former AFL great Neil Elvis "Nicky" Winmar has been found guilty of assaulting a woman during an incident in northern Victoria, concluding a closely watched court case involving one of Australian football's most recognisable figures. The decision was handed down in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court on 3 July 2026, following a contested hearing held earlier this year.
The court heard the incident occurred in May 2025 at Cohuna, where the woman alleged Winmar became aggressive during an argument. She told the court she feared for her life as Winmar grabbed and twisted her arm, dragged her by her hair and repeatedly smashed her head against a wooden door. The woman also said she managed to escape, lock herself in a room and call Triple Zero (000), telling emergency operators she had been assaulted.
Winmar pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied assaulting the woman. Throughout the hearing, his defence argued he had acted in self-defence, claiming the woman had thrown punches at him and that any physical contact occurred while he was attempting to protect himself. Defence counsel also challenged aspects of the complainant's evidence, pointing to inconsistencies in her various statements to police and during the hearing.
After considering evidence from the complainant, police officers, photographs and witness testimony, Magistrate Trieu Huynh found the woman to be a credible and reliable witness. The magistrate acknowledged there were some inconsistencies in her evidence but concluded they did not undermine the core allegations. He said she remained consistent on the key facts and gave plausible explanations for any differences in her earlier accounts.
Winmar was convicted of three assault offences, comprising unlawful assault and common law assault. However, the magistrate acquitted him of the charge of intentionally causing injury, finding the prosecution had not proved beyond reasonable doubt that the woman's injuries met the legal threshold required for that offence because she did not require medical treatment.
The case has attracted significant public attention because of Winmar's prominent place in Australian sporting history. During his AFL career, he played 251 senior games for St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs and became one of the game's most influential Indigenous players. He is especially remembered for his iconic anti-racism stand in 1993, when he lifted his jumper and pointed to his skin after enduring racist abuse from spectators. The image became one of the defining moments in Australian sport's fight against racism and was later commemorated with a bronze statue outside Optus Stadium in Perth.
Following the guilty verdict, Winmar left court without commenting to reporters. His barrister told the court the defence will ask the magistrate to consider a community corrections order rather than imprisonment when sentence is determined. The matter has been adjourned for a pre-sentence hearing in August, where submissions will be made before the court decides the appropriate penalty.
