Nicky Winmar pursues legal action against Sam Newman
Former St Kilda great Nicky Winmar is pursuing legal action against Sam Newman, Don Scott and Mike Sheahan after the controversial footy identity questioned the true meaning behind Winmar’s iconic gesture of pointing to his skin in 1993.
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Former St Kilda great Nicky Winmar is pursuing legal action against Sam Newman, ex-Hawthorn player Don Scott and journalist Mike Sheahan after the trio questioned the true meaning behind Winmar’s iconic gesture of pointing to his skin colour after a 1993 game.
The AFL star has engaged lawyers following the airing of the the group’s podcast this week in which they discussed whether Winmar’s symbolic move had anything to do with race at all.
The three men suggested the moment — which has since been immortalised in a bronze statue at Perth’s Optus stadium — was not in response to the racial vilification Winmar had received during the Collingwood game, and was instead referring to the footballer playing with “heart” and the pointing to his stomach symbolised a “gutsy effort”.
Speaking to the Herald Sun, Nicky Winmar said, “these white fellas are tarnishing my legacy.
“I know what I said, I am not a liar.”
Manager Peter Jess said Winmar was “absolutely outraged” at what he calls white privileged men trying to rewrite indigenous history.
“They are saying he is a liar. It is such an outrageous proposition to have one of the game’s icons branded a liar. They are making out his legacy is false. Why?”
“These guys have lived off the game and denigrate an icon and rewrite one of the iconic moments in sport as a lie.
It should be the last time that anyone has the ability to do this.
“Nicky will have his day in court.”
“Nicky now has to look his children and grandchildren in the eyes and say ‘my legacy is trying to be tarnished by white fellas. It’s not black fellas’.”
Scott suggested Winmar was “dining out” on the celebrated moment with Newman adding the moment has “”just morphed into all that other by activists”.
Photographer Wayne Ludbey, who captured the celebrated moment, said he was “shocked, then disillusioned and now angry” after hearing the comments.
Mr Ludbey confirmed to the Herald Sun he had also engaged Leon Zwier of law firm Arnold Bloch Leiber alongside Winmar.
Meetings were held this week between the Melbourne law firm to discuss a potential lawsuit against the podcast host and guests.
The Herald Sun understands former teammate and fellow indigenous footballer Gilbert McAdam is also considering joining the legal action.
McAdam played alongside Winmar during the April 17 win over Collingwood at Victoria Park.
Mr Ludbey recalled the men embracing after the “euphoric moment” Winmar lifted his St Kilda jumper and pointed to his skin.
“I’ve never deviated from my original story,” Mr Ludbey told the Herald Sun.
“Nicky was responding to racial vilification and he said ‘I’m proud to be black, I’m proud to be black’,”
“I couldn’t be any firmer in what I heard,” he said.
Mr Ludbey said he didn’t want to dignify the “three stooges” — Newman, Scott and Sheahan — with a response to their interpretation of the moment in history.