Nicky Winmar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicky Winmar
A famous photograph in which Winmar points proudly at his skin in a gesture of defiance at racial abuse in 1993
Personal information
Full name	Neil Elvis Winmar
Nickname(s)	"Cuz"
Date of birth	(1965-09-25) 25 September 1965 (age 59)
Place of birth	Kellerberrin, Western Australia
Original team	Pingelly (UGSFL)
Position(s)	Half-forward flank, wing
Career highlights
St Kilda leading Goalkicker 1988 2x St Kilda Best and Fairest 1989, 1995 VFL Team of the Year 1989 2x All-Australian team 1991, 1995 Mark of the Year 1992 St Kilda Pre-Season Premiership side 1996 Michael Tuck Medal 1996 Aboriginal Sportsperson of the Year 1999 St Kilda Team of the Century (named 2003) St Kilda Hall of Fame (inducted 2003) Indigenous Team of the Century (named 2005) West Australian Football Hall of Fame (inducted 2009) Australian Football Hall of Fame (inducted 2022)

Neil Elvis "Nicky" Winmar (born 25 September 1965) is a famous former Australian rules footballer. He played for the St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs teams in the Australian Football League (AFL). He also played for in the West Australian Football League.

Nicky Winmar is an Indigenous Australian man. He was the first Aboriginal footballer to play 200 games in the AFL. In 2005, he was named in the special Indigenous Team of the Century. During his career, he faced unfair treatment because of his background. A famous photo of Winmar responding to this in 1993 is one of the most important images in Australian sports history.

Nicky grew up in Pingelly, Western Australia. He started his career with South Fremantle. He played 58 games there before joining St Kilda in 1987. With St Kilda, he won the club's best player award twice. This award is called the Trevor Barker Award. He also made the All-Australian team twice. After 12 seasons with St Kilda, he joined the Western Bulldogs for one final year in 1999. Winmar played for Western Australia eight times. He was named in St Kilda's Team of the Century in 2003. In 2009, he was added to the West Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Football Start

Neil Elvis Winmar was born on 25 September 1965. His birthplace was Kellerberrin, Western Australia. His parents, Neal and Meryle Winmar, were both Noongar people. Nicky grew up on an Aboriginal reserve near Pingelly. His home was a simple shack with no running water. He left school at age 15 and worked as a shearer.

Nicky started playing football early for the Brookton/Pingelly Football Club. This was in the Upper Great Southern Football League (UGSFL). When he was just 15, he won a top award in a local competition.

Later, South Fremantle in the Perth-based WAFL recruited him. Their coach, Mal Brown, saw him play. Nicky made his first senior game for South Fremantle in 1983. He was 17 years old. He played 13 games in his first season. He often played on the wings and half-forward. Later, he also played as a rover. He was always good at scoring goals. In total, Winmar played 58 games for South Fremantle. He kicked 98 goals between 1983 and 1986.

AFL Career Highlights

Nicky Winmar became known as "Cuz." This was because he called everyone "Cuz."

Playing for St Kilda

Winmar moved to the St Kilda Football Club in 1987. This was in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He played his first game for St Kilda in Round 1 against Geelong. In his first year, he played 20 games and kicked 37 goals. He came second in St Kilda's best player award.

In 1988, he kicked 43 goals in 21 games. This made him the club's top goalkicker. He was again runner-up for the best player award. In 1989, Winmar had an amazing season. He won St Kilda's best player award. He was also named in the VFL's Team of the Year. He finished third in the Brownlow Medal voting that year.

In 1991, Winmar returned to football after a break. He played very well and was named in the first ever All-Australian team. In 1992, he played 23 more games. He won the Mark of the Year award for a spectacular catch. This catch happened at Subiaco Oval against West Coast.

In 1995, Winmar played in all 22 of St Kilda's games. He won the club's best player award for the second time. He was also named in the All-Australian team again. In 1996, St Kilda won the pre-season competition. Winmar was awarded the Michael Tuck Medal as the best player in the final game. He played his 200th game for St Kilda in 1997. This made him the first Indigenous player to reach this milestone in the AFL. He also played in the 1997 Grand Final.

Playing for Western Bulldogs

St Kilda let Winmar go at the end of the 1998 season. The Western Bulldogs then chose him in the 1998 National Draft. Winmar played 21 games for the Bulldogs. He kicked 34 goals for them. He retired from the Western Bulldogs at the end of the 1999 season. He said it was due to training and injuries. In 1999, Winmar was named National Aboriginal Sportsperson of the Year. He shared this award with rugby league player Cliff Lyons.

Standing Up to Unfairness

Nicky Winmar was involved in some tough moments during his career. These involved unfair treatment because of his background. The most famous moment happened in 1993.

In a game against Collingwood in 1993, some Collingwood fans said mean things to Winmar. They yelled for him to "go and sniff some petrol" and "go walkabout where you came from." After the game, which St Kilda won, Winmar lifted his jumper. He faced the crowd and pointed to his skin.

The next day, a photo of Winmar's gesture was in the newspaper. It was taken by Wayne Ludbey. The headline said: "Winmar: I'm black and proud of it." Nicky did not know about the photo until he saw it. He later said he did not like the attention it brought. He even thought about leaving football for a while. However, when another Indigenous player, Michael Long, faced similar issues later, Winmar felt stronger. This was because the AFL supported them.

On 16 April 2023, 30 years after the famous game, Winmar was honored. He tossed the coin at the start of a St Kilda-Collingwood game. Before the game, Collingwood apologized to Winmar and his teammate Gilbert McAdam. McAdam had also faced unfair treatment in the 1993 game.

The Photo's Impact

Statue based on the famous 1993 photo, outside Perth Stadium, erected 2019

Winmar's gesture was a very strong message. It is called a "powerful statement" and an "anti-racist symbol." Many say it helped start the fight against unfair treatment in Australian football. It is compared to the black power salute at the 1968 Olympics. It is one of the most memorable images in Australian sports history.

This event inspired Indigenous singer-songwriter Archie Roach. He wrote a song called "Colour of Your Jumper" about it.

The photo is also part of a large mural. The mural is called The Game That Made Australia. It was painted by Jamie Cooper in 2008.

In July 2019, a large bronze statue of Winmar was put up. It is outside Perth Stadium and shows his famous gesture.

In March 2023, Western Bulldogs player Jamarra Ugle-Hagan faced unfair comments. In his next game, he lifted his shirt and pointed to his skin. He did this to show support for Winmar's message.

The Famous Jumper

Winmar gave the jumper he wore in the photo to a special commission in 1998. Later, the jumper was given to the National Museum of Australia. It was shown in an exhibit about Indigenous Australian art. In 2012, the jumper was bought by Museum Victoria for $100,000. They wanted to show it in an exhibition.

Some people have questioned if this was the exact jumper from the game. The St Kilda Football Club mentioned differences in sponsor logos.

Awards and Recognition

Since 2009, there has been a football tournament for young Indigenous players. It is called the Nicky Winmar Cup.

Team Awards

• McClelland Trophy (St Kilda): 1997
• Pre-Season Cup (St Kilda): 1996

Individual Awards

• All-Australian: 1991, 1995
• Herald Sun Player of the Year Award: 1995
• Trevor Barker Award (St Kilda F.C. Best & Fairest): 1989, 1995
• St Kilda F.C. Leading Goalkicker: 1988
• Alex Jesaulenko Medal (Mark of the Year Award): 1992
• Michael Tuck Medal: 1996
• Aboriginal Sportsperson of the Year: 1999
• St Kilda F.C. Team of the Century – right wing (announced 2003)
• St Kilda F.C. Hall of Fame Inductee: 2003
• West Australian Football Hall of Fame Inductee: 2009
• South Fremantle's Indigenous Team of the Century (announced 2009)
• Indigenous Team of the Century – half-forward flank (announced 2005)
• AFL Hall of Fame: June 2022

Later Life

After retiring from the AFL, Winmar played for different local clubs. These included teams in Victoria and the Northern Territory. He played for the Palmerston Football Club and others.

Nicky has worked in construction and as a shearer. He also worked in the mining industry. In 2012, he had a heart attack and was in the hospital.

In 2023, Nicky Winmar released his memoir. It is called My Story: From Bush Kid to AFL Legend. He wrote it with Matthew Hardy.

Personal Connections

Two of Nicky Winmar's cousins also played football. They are Leroy Jetta and Nicholas Winmar. They were both listed with AFL clubs.

Playing Statistics

Here are Nicky Winmar's playing statistics: