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The bronze statue of former AFL player Nicky Winmar has been removed from Perth Stadium, days after a Victorian court found him guilty of assaulting a woman. WA Premier Roger Cook ordered the removal following the conviction, with VenuesWest confirming arrangements were made to take the statue down.

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The removal took place early on Sunday morning, less than two days after the verdict, according to ABC Australia. The statue was taken down by a crane and a crew of roughly six people around 6:45am local time. A VenuesWest spokesperson said the statue would be securely stored while its future is considered, and that the removal was carried out as per the premier's direction and in consultation with the AFL.

The statue was unveiled in July 2019, before NAIDOC Week, as a symbol against racism in the AFL. It immortalised the moment Winmar, a Noongar man, raised his St Kilda guernsey and pointed to his skin after facing racial abuse from Collingwood fans during a 1993 AFL match at Victoria Park. The removal fell on the first day of NAIDOC Week, seven years after the unveiling.

Premier Cook had called for the statue's removal shortly after the court decision on Friday. He stated that violence against women is "never acceptable" and that it was important to send "a strong message to the community." He said that following Winmar's conviction, it was his firm view that the statue was no longer appropriate for display.

When the statue was erected, then-premier Mark McGowan said it would serve as a reminder that racism has no place in sport or in society generally, with the WA government describing it as a "powerful symbol of Aboriginal pride."

Key Claims

  • Winmar was found guilty of dragging a woman by the hair and hitting her head against a door, as reported by The Guardian.
  • The court convicted him of three charges: two counts of common law assault and one count of unlawful assault. He was acquitted on a fourth charge of intentionally causing injury.
  • The incident occurred on 14 May 2025 in Cohuna, northern Victoria. The woman, who cannot be identified, alleged Winmar grabbed her arm, twisted it, dragged her by the hair, pushed her against a wall, spat and yelled in her face, and bashed her head into a wooden door.
  • Winmar admitted to slapping the woman's arm above the elbow but denied other allegations, claiming she had punched him five or six times to the face area.
  • Magistrate Trieu Huynh found the woman to be a credible and truthful witness. Winmar, who appeared in court in person, dropped his head into his hands after the decision. A pre-sentence hearing is scheduled for a later date.

Perspectives

Premier Roger Cook (WA Government): Removing the statue sends a strong message that violence against women is never acceptable, and that the statue is no longer appropriate following Winmar's conviction.

VenuesWest: The statue has been removed as per the premier's direction and in consultation with the AFL, and will be securely stored while its future is considered.

Magistrate Trieu Huynh: Found the woman to be a credible and truthful witness, and convicted Winmar of three assault charges while acquitting him on the charge of intentionally causing injury.