Nicky Winmar takes another stand against Sam Newman, Don Scott and Mike Sheahan

A shattered Nicky Winmar will sue three AFL heavyweights who challenged the meaning behind one of Australian sport’s most iconic images.

Footballer Nicky Winmar lifts his guernsey and pointing to his skin says "I'm black and I'm proud" to jeering Collingwood fans on April 26, 1993.

Nicky Winmar will launch legal action next week against three prominent Melbourne football identities who challenged the meaning behind one of the most iconic images in Australian sport.

Photographer Wayne Ludbey, who took the famous picture of Winmar raising his St Kilda jumper and pointing to his skin in defiance of racial abuse, is joining the former Saints player in his action.

Winmar is shattered by comments made by former Hawthorn captain Don Scott, ex-Geelong champion and television identity Sam Newman and celebrated football journalist Mike Sheahan on a podcast last week.

Nicky Winmar in his famous gesture in 1993. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Ludbey said they had the support of former Saint Gilbert McAdam, who played alongside Winmar in the clash against Collingwood at Victoria Park in 1993 and was devastated by the recent discussion.

Ludbey heard Winmar declare “I am black and I am proud to be black” while making the gesture in 1993 and the moment was immortalised in a sculpture that now sits outside Optus Stadium in Perth.

But Newman and Scott claimed in a podcast that the gesture had been misconstrued.

Scott said Winmar was gesturing that he had played with heart instead of taking a stand against racial discrimination and was “dining out” on the celebrated moment.

Newman said activists had “morphed” the moment to mean more than it did for political motives.

Sheahan, who has hosted Winmar and McAdam on his Fox Footy program Open Mike, adopted a more cautious approach.

But he said he left Victoria Park that night thinking McAdam was referring to the “guts” he had shown during the match.

“Nicky has been vilified all over again by three muppets. I really feel for him,” Ludbey told The Weekend Australian.

“It is a recurring nightmare for him and for Gilbert and for them to have to relive this … is despicable. You go through shock, through disillusionment and then you get angry and it is important we make a stand.”

Winmar told the Herald Sun; “These white fellas are tarnishing my legacy. I know what I said. I am not a liar,” he said.

Ludbey, who worked alongside Sheahan at The Sunday Age and Herald Sun, and Winmar are being represented by Leon Zwier from Melbourne law firm Arnold Bloch Liebler.

On Friday, West Coast coach Adam Simpson and captain Luke Shuey challenged a racist social media post aimed at the family of forward Liam Ryan. Melbourne defender Neville Jetta was also the subject of a racist online post.

If follows an impassioned plea from Carlton champion Eddie Betts this week describing the hurt he felt as the subject of repeated racist online posts and other forms of abuse.

““Everyone’s angry, and annoyed … but the best thing we can do is educate people about how it impacts their lives and their families,” Simpson said. “We’re really proud to have the heritage that we do at our club, and having five (indigenous) players play on the weekend, it’s really good for us.

Nicky Winmar with a stature of his iconic pose outside Optus Stadium. Picture: Jackson Flindell

“We’ve just got to keep educating people. It’s not the first time, but it doesn’t make it any easier.

“Our boys handle this quite often, so unfortunately, it’s not rare. We’re a very tight group. We’ve got his (Ryan’s) back.”

Ludbey said the recent abuse towards footballers was another reason it was important to challenge the assertions made by Newman, Scott and Sheahan.

“The abuse is nauseating,” Ludbey said. “Sam and Mike and Don would never have had to go through what Nicky Winmar, Neville Jetta, Chad Wingard and Liam Ryan have been subjected to. They don’t understand the stupidity of what they have said.”

Some make comments to create a headline, others make a stand that lasts a lifetime. pic.twitter.com/K5KBVGtV8k

— St Kilda FC (@stkildafc) June 26, 2020