Former AFL star Nicky Winmar has been sentenced to six months in jail for assaulting a woman in northern Victoria, but the 60-year-old remains out of custody after immediately appealing his conviction and sentence and being granted bail. He was also ordered to complete a 12-month community corrections order after his prison term.
The sentence was handed down at Bendigo Magistratesâ Court on Friday, August 28, following Winmarâs conviction last month on three assault charges over an incident involving a woman at accommodation in Cohuna in May 2025.
Winmarâs barrister, Dermot Dann KC, immediately launched an appeal. Winmar was released on bail on the condition that he not contact prosecution witnesses while the appeal proceeds.
What happened during the Cohuna assault?
During a three-day contested hearing, the woman, who cannot be identified, told the court Winmar approached her while screaming before grabbing and twisting her arm.
The court heard that he dragged her by her ponytail and repeatedly smashed her head against a wooden door. Reporting from the proceedings said her head or face struck the door four times, damaging the door above its handle.
The woman escaped and hid in a room for about an hour while waiting for police. She described being âpetrifiedâ and fearing for her life. At a later plea hearing, she said the attack had left her a âshadow of the personâ she had been.
What was Nicky Winmar convicted of?
Winmar pleaded not guilty and maintained his innocence, but Magistrate Trieu Huynh found him guilty beyond reasonable doubt of three assault offences after hearing evidence from the woman and other witnesses.
He was acquitted of the more serious charge of intentionally causing injury. The six-month jail sentence therefore relates to the three assault convictions.
Why was Winmar sentenced to jail?
Magistrate Huynh described Winmarâs actions as unprovoked and expressed concern about his history of alcohol-related violent offending. While accepting that Winmar had made significant progress towards rehabilitation, he concluded the seriousness of the offending and its impact on the victim required imprisonment.
Winmar previously received a community corrections order, including 100 hours of community service, in 2019 for the drunken assault of a taxi driver.
His defence argued that jail should be a last resort. The court heard Winmar had effectively been homeless around the time of the latest offending but had since worked to rebuild his life, including giving up alcohol.
The proceedings come amid wider attention on significant Australian court decisions. In a separate and unrelated legal matter, the Federal Courtâs $150 million Fortescue native title compensation ruling has also attracted national attention.
Concussions and possible CTE raised in court
The defence also raised Winmarâs mental health and history of concussions during his football career. Dann said investigations were underway to determine whether Winmar had an acquired brain injury or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known as CTE.
No acquired brain injury or CTE diagnosis was established in the material presented to the court, so neither should be treated as a confirmed condition.
Is Nicky Winmar in jail now?
No. Although Winmar has been sentenced to six months in prison, he was granted bail after appealing his conviction and sentence. His bail conditions include a requirement that he not contact prosecution witnesses.
The Magistratesâ Court convictions and sentence remain in place, but Winmar is challenging both through the appeal process and is currently out of custody.
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Hall of Fame honour and statue removed
Winmar has already faced major consequences within Australian football. The AFL removed Winmar from the Australian Football Hall of Fame following his assault convictions. Magistrate Huynh acknowledged the impact of losing football accolades but placed limited weight on those consequences when determining his sentence.
St Kilda also began a separate process concerning Winmarâs status in the clubâs Hall of Fame. A bronze statue depicting his famous response to racist abuse was removed from outside Perth Stadium following his conviction.
Winmarâs AFL career and what happens next
Winmar played 251 VFL/AFL games across 13 seasons with St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs and became the first Indigenous footballer to reach 200 games. His 1993 gesture of lifting his St Kilda jumper and pointing to his skin after experiencing racist abuse at Victoria Park became one of Australian sportâs defining anti-racism moments.
Winmarâs case has consequently attracted attention far beyond the courtroom because of his place in AFL history. Australian football remains firmly in the national sporting spotlight, including recent action such as Melbourneâs win over Richmond and Kysaiah Pickettâs standout performance.
The immediate focus now shifts to Winmarâs appeal. Until that process is determined, his three assault convictions and six-month jail sentence remain in place, while he remains on bail subject to court-imposed conditions.
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