Proud Noongar man and St. Kilda great Nicky Winmar will forever remain an icon after being inducted into the Australian Football League's Hall of Fame.
Winmar was admired both on and off the field as both a skilled player and a powerful advocate for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in his stance against racism in the game.
"We will always have racism in society, unfortunately," Winmar said in accepting the award.
"But we're going to still stand here and always say we are proud of who we are and what we've done."
With a successful 251-game career under his belt, Winmar's most enduring moment on the field came in 1993, with a public gesture that ignited a national conversation about racism in Australian sport.
Winmar stood confidently in front of racist jeers from Collingwood fans, lifting his jersey to point at his skin to shout “I'm Blak and I'm proud to be Blak!”.
The image captured on the day by photographer Wayne Ludbey would forever be ingrained in Australia’s sporting history and the fight against racism.
Most of Winmar's 251 games were played with his long-time club St. Kilda from 1987-1998, before his retirement at the end of the 1999 season with the Western Bulldogs.
Nicky Winmar making his famous stand against racism in 1993, Victoria Park. Source: Wayne Ludbey - The Age/National Museum of Australia
He was the first Indigenous player to reach a 200-game milestone at the VFL/AFL level. In doing so he paved the way for the next generation of young Indigenous footballers.
Winmar’s induction into the AFL’s Hall of Fame is another distinction for the St. Kilda icon, with previous inductions into St Kilda’s Hall of Fame and Team of the Century, West Australian Football Hall of Fame, and Indigenous Team of the Century.
Winmar was given a warm address by long-time friend and AFL legend Tony Lockett, who inducted his former teammate into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Lockett spoke fondly of his friend in a pre-recorded video.
“Great bloke, absolutely top of the range and we got along like a house on fire and that probably showed out on the ground,” said Lockett.
In accepting his Hall of Fame status, Winmar's first words as he reached the stage were “about time” which summed up the momentous occasion for AFL Fans who supported Winmar between 1987 and 1999.
