Nicky Winmar, a former AFL star, has been convicted of assaulting a woman by dragging her by the hair and striking her head against a door.
The 60-year-old athlete claimed that the woman was lying about the incident; however, Bendigo magistrate Trieu Huynh ruled on Friday that she was credible and truthful, leading to Winmar’s conviction on three charges.
The incident occurred on May 14, 2025, in Cohuna, northern Victoria. The woman, whose identity remains protected, testified that Winmar unexpectedly became aggressive, grabbing her arm, twisting it, and then pulling her hair.
She further alleged that he shoved her against a wall, yelled and spat in her face, and repeatedly slammed her head into a wooden door.
While Winmar admitted to slapping her arm above the elbow, he denied throwing punches or causing her to fall. He contended that she had struck him multiple times in the face.
Magistrate Huynh determined that the woman was a reliable witness, affirming her honesty during the proceedings regarding the assault.
Winmar was found guilty of two counts of common law assault and one count of unlawful assault, based on the accusations of grabbing her arm, pulling her hair, and hitting her head against a door.
However, he was acquitted on a fourth charge of intentionally causing injury, as the magistrate concluded that the woman’s reported “substantial pain” did not meet the legal threshold for that charge.
Upon hearing the verdict in Bendigo court, Winmar was visibly distressed, burying his head in his hands.
A pre-sentence hearing for Winmar is scheduled for a later date.
Winmar, celebrated as an AFL icon, was the first Aboriginal player to reach 200 games, concluding his career with 230 matches for St Kilda and 21 for the Western Bulldogs.
Throughout his career, he confronted racism, most notably in 1993 when he defiantly stood before a hostile Collingwood crowd, lifting his jersey to showcase his skin.
In addition to his legal troubles, Winmar is co-leading a significant class action lawsuit against the AFL regarding racism in the Victorian Supreme Court.
