Tessa Lee, Sports journalist reporting on global leagues since 2021.
AFL great Nicky Winmar has been found guilty of three assault charges after a Victorian court ruled he assaulted a woman during an incident in Cohuna in May last year. Bendigo Magistrates Court delivered the verdict on Friday, finding the former St Kilda star grabbed the woman, dragged her by her hair, and repeatedly slammed her head into a door. The decision marks a significant legal outcome for one of Australian football's most recognised figures.
Winmar had pleaded not guilty to multiple charges arising from the incident. The woman involved cannot be identified for legal reasons.
Magistrate Trieu Huynh found Winmar guilty of two counts of common law assault and one count of unlawful assault. However, the magistrate dismissed a charge of intentionally causing injury after finding the prosecution had not established that the woman's pain met the legal threshold required for that offence.
Court hears details of the incident
During the hearing, the woman told the court she was "petrified" and feared for her life during the alleged assault.
Police who attended the scene on the night of the incident were told that Winmar had grabbed her and dragged her by her hair.
The woman also said some of her hair had been pulled out during the struggle. She told officers she felt dizzy after her head was repeatedly slammed into a door and rated her pain as 10 out of 10.
After considering the evidence presented during the hearing, Magistrate Huynh accepted the woman's account of the incident and found the assaults had been proven beyond reasonable doubt.
Defence argued self defence
Winmar's legal team argued throughout the hearing that the former AFL player had acted in self defence.
His lawyers also challenged the credibility of the complainant, pointing to what they described as inconsistencies in her statements. One issue raised was that she did not initially tell police that some of her hair had fallen out following the incident.
The woman rejected suggestions that she had fabricated her evidence. She told the court she had not provided every detail to police on the night because her immediate concern was ensuring Winmar left the property.
She also explained that she did not initially discuss every aspect of the incident because she was still processing what had happened.
According to evidence presented in court, she said she struggled to understand how "someone could be so brutal."
Magistrate accepts complainant's evidence
In delivering his decision, Magistrate Huynh described the woman as a credible witness.
He found she had provided reasonable explanations for the inconsistencies identified by the defence and remained consistent when denying allegations that she had fabricated her account.
The magistrate concluded that her evidence was reliable and accepted her version of events when reaching the guilty verdicts.
As a result, Winmar was convicted of two counts of common law assault and one count of unlawful assault.
The charge of intentionally causing injury was dismissed because the magistrate found the prosecution had not established that the injuries met the legal definition required under Victorian law.
Sentencing to take place later
Winmar will return to court at a later date for sentencing on the three assault convictions.
The court has not yet announced the sentencing date.
The guilty findings conclude the trial phase of the case, with the sentencing hearing expected to determine the penalties that will apply.
Winmar's football legacy
Winmar remains one of the most influential figures in Australian football history.
He played 251 AFL games across a 13 season career, primarily with St Kilda, before finishing his playing career with the Western Bulldogs.
Beyond his achievements on the field, Winmar is widely remembered for his powerful stand against racism during a match in 1993. His gesture became one of the defining moments in Australian sporting history and helped shape conversations around racial discrimination in sport.
That moment has since been commemorated with a bronze statue outside Optus Stadium in Perth, recognising both his football career and his impact on Australian society.
The court's guilty verdict represents a significant development in the legal proceedings involving the AFL legend, with sentencing still to come.
