Winmar, Nicky (1965-…), is a former Australian Rules football player of First Nations descent. First Nations, also called Indigenous peoples of Australia and First Australians, are the original inhabitants of the land that is now Australia. They include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Winmar began his career in the Australian Football League (AFL) in 1986 with the St. Kilda Football Club. He is best known for his bold celebration of his First Nations heritage at an AFL match in 1993, which helped start a movement to eliminate racial abuse from the sport. 
Neil Elvis Winmar was born on Sept. 25, 1965, in Kellerberrin, in the state of Western Australia. He is a member of the Noongar people, the largest Aboriginal group in Western Australia. Winmar grew up on an Aboriginal reserve in Pingelly, a rural town in the Wheatbelt region of the state. The Wheatbelt extends from the edge of the Goldfields west to the Darling Range and the coast. Winmar began playing sports, including basketball and football, at a young age. He joined the senior football team in Pingelly when he was 15.
In 1982, Winmar signed with the South Fremantle Football Club, a West Australian Football League (WAFL) team from Fremantle, Western Australia. He played his first game in the WAFL in 1983. In 1986, Winmar signed with St. Kilda, an AFL team based in Melbourne, Victoria. He debuted in the AFL in 1987. Throughout Winmar’s professional career, he was often the target of racist harassment from the players and supporters of opposing teams. In 1990, he was suspended for 10 games for attacking another AFL player, who later admitted to racially abusing Winmar during the game.
On April 17, 1993, the St. Kilda team played a match against Collingwood Football Club. During the game, Winmar and his teammate Gilbert McAdam were racially harassed by Collingwood’s supporters. After helping lead St. Kilda to victory, Winmar faced the crowd. He raised his jersey and pointed at himself, saying, “I’m black and I’m proud to be black.” His gesture was captured by photographers and published in Australian newspapers. Winmar’s actions quickly sparked a national discussion about racism in the AFL. In July 1995, following other racist incidents involving First Nations players, the AFL introduced Rule 30. The new rule banned players from racially abusing other competitors.
In 1997, Winmar became the first First Nations person to play 200 games in the AFL. In 1999, he began playing for the Western Bulldogs, another AFL team based in Melbourne. During his later career, Winmar continued to speak out against racism in football. He retired from the AFL in 1999. In 2019, a statue of Winmar was erected outside Optus Stadium in Perth, Western Australia. Winmar was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
