Updated July 3, 2026 — 6:45pm,first published 1:32pmOptus Stadium in Western Australia will tear down the statue of AFL great Nicky Winmar after the former player was found guilty of dragging a woman by the hair and smashing her head against a door.The St Kilda star, 60, argued the woman had lied about the attack, but Bendigo magistrate Trieu Huynh on Friday found she was being truthful and convicted Winmar of three charges.An undated image of Nicky Winmar supplied by the Bendigo Magistrates’ Court.Bendigo Magistrates’ CourtThe woman, who cannot be identified, alleged Winmar attacked her at Cohuna in northern Victoria on May 14, 2025.She claimed Winmar became unexpectedly angry before he grabbed her arm, twisted it and then dragged her by the hair.The woman also accused Winmar of pushing her against a wall, spitting and yelling in her face, and then bashing her head repeatedly into a wooden door.Winmar admitted he slapped the woman’s arm above the elbow but denied throwing any punches or making her tumble.Winmar during his playing days with St Kilda.Joe ArmaoHe claimed she had been the one who punched him five or six times around the face.Huynh found the woman was a credible and truthful witness who was honest in her evidence about the attack.The magistrate convicted Winmar of two charges of common law assault and one count of unlawful assault.The statue of Nicky Winmar’s famous stance against racism will be taken down outside Optus Stadium.Getty ImagesFollowing the conviction, WA Premier Roger Cook said the statue outside Perth’s Optus Stadium would be removed.“Violence against women is never acceptable, and it is important we send a strong message to the community,” he said in a statement.“Following Nicky Winmar’s conviction, I’m of the firm view that it is no longer appropriate for that statue to be displayed.”The statue was erected in 2019 and depicts the famous moment in 1993 when Winmar pulled up his St Kilda jersey and pointed at his black skin in response to racism from fans.St Kilda player Nicky Winmar points to his skin in response to a racist taunt from the crowd in 1993.Wayne LudbeyThe charges related to the allegations that Winmar grabbed the woman by the arm, dragged her by the hair and hit her head against a door.Winmar was acquitted on the fourth charge of intentionally causing injury, with Huynh finding the woman’s “substantial pain” fell short of the sort of injury required for the charge.Winmar, who appeared in the Bendigo Magistrates’ Court in person, dropped his head into his hands after the magistrate handed down his decision.He will face a pre-sentence hearing at a later date.An undated image supplied by Bendigo Magistrates’ Court.Bendigo Magistrates’ CourtWinmar became the first Aboriginal footballer to play 200 games in the AFL, finishing his career with 230 games at St Kilda and 21 for the Western Bulldogs.He fought back against racism in his career, including standing in front of an abusive Collingwood crowd in 1993, lifting his jumper and proudly pointing at his skin.Winmar is also co-leading a landmark racism class action against the AFL in the Supreme Court of Victoria.From our partners