Nicky Winmar: Former AFL player claims racism caused psychiatric injuries and joins class action

Nicky Winmar had bottles of urine thrown at him, suffered racial slurs, was spat at on the way to change rooms and his family received death threats when he played AFL.

The former St Kilda and Western Bulldogs player alleges he suffered physical and psychiatric injuries, including PTSD, depression and anxiety, after enduring years of racial abuse from spectators.

Court documents filed by Winmar’s lawyers on Thursday, as he formally joined a class action against the AFL as co-lead, claimed these alleged injuries had limited his earning capacity since retiring in 1999.

“Neil Winmar played Australian Rules Football for several years in lower leagues, and has undertaken mining, removalist, shearing and traffic control work. He also worked for a job network company, Nortec,” a statement of claim, filed with Victoria’s Supreme Court, said.

“Because of his psychiatric injuries, Neil Winmar has been unable to work for the past several years, has no current work capacity, and is unlikely to be suitable for employment on the open labour market in the future.”

The statement alleges Winmar would have gone on to have one or more successful small businesses, including leadership roles mentoring vulnerable young Indigenous people, had he not suffered the alleged injuries.

The Margalit class action claims the AFL and VFL should have provided First Nations players like Winmar a safe place free from racial abuse, and protected him and other Indigenous Australian players from risk of harm and abuse.

Winmar joins co-lead plaintiff Phil Krakouer, who played 141 games for North Melbourne, in the class action, which has also been narrowed in scope.

Previously the action was open to all people of colour who played VFL or AFL between 1975 and 2023, but this has been changed to include only First Nations people who played between May 1980 and October 9, 2025.

Umpires, officials and other AFL staff are no longer eligible to join, however family members of Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander players can join if they believe they suffered harm in connection with their loved one’s racial abuse.

Winmar said he was proud to stand alongside Krakouer in the action, which is heading to judicial mediation in March 2026.

“I want to ensure that former Aboriginal players get the support that they need,” he said in a statement.

“I want to ensure that the AFL is a safe place for current and future generations of Aboriginal players.”

Krakouer said it was “courageous” of Winmar to join him as co-lead, just as he showed courage in 1993 when he lifted his jersey and pointed at his skin while being abused by the crowd during a game against Collingwood.

“The racial abuse had a profound impact not only on Nicky and me but our families and other players and their families within the AFL community,” he said.

The AFL is fighting the class action, and has been contacted by AAP for a response to the fresh claims.

Winmar appeared in a Melbourne Magistrates Court in August, after he was charged in July with intentionally choking a person.

The charges involved him allegedly committing two assaults and choking, strangling or suffocating a person.

The three incidents all allegedly happened on July 18, charge sheets stated, and the case was adjourned until November 21.

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