World News
Former AFL star Nicky Winmar sentenced to six months in jail for assault
A Victorian magistrate has handed down a prison sentence and community order over a May 2025 incident, which defense counsel plans to appeal.
The short version
- Former Australian Football League player Nicky Winmar was sentenced to six months in prison and a one-year community corrections order after being convicted of assault charges.
- The sentencing follows an incident in Cohuna, Victoria, in May 2025, during which a court found Winmar committed violent assaults against a woman.
- Defense representation immediately signaled an intention to appeal both the sentence and the conviction, with a bail application anticipated.
Key facts
- Magistrate Trieu Huynh sentenced 60-year-old Nicky Winmar to six months' imprisonment followed by a one-year community corrections order in Bendigo Magistrates Court.[The Guardian]
- Winmar was found guilty in July 2026 of two counts of common law assault and one charge of unlawful assault connected to a May 2025 incident in Cohuna.[The Guardian]
- The victim testified that Winmar grabbed her arm, dragged her by the hair, pushed her against a wall, spat in her face, and struck her head against a wooden door.[The Guardian]
- Defense barrister Dermot Dann KC stated that Winmar will appeal the conviction and sentence.[The Guardian]
- Following his conviction, Winmar was stripped of his place in the AFL Hall of Fame, and a statue of him at Optus Stadium in Perth was removed.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- The outcome of Winmar's planned appeal and his anticipated application for bail remain pending.[The Guardian]
Sources
- Former AFL star Nicky Winmar jailed for six months for assault on womanThe Guardian - World