Australian Football

After narrowly missing selection in West Coast’s inaugural VFL squad in 1987, South Fremantle’s Neil Elvis Winmar - usually referred to as ‘Nicky’ - ended up instead at St Kilda where, as the cliché has it, he became an overnight sensation. Exquisitely skilled, and capable of the spectacular, Winmar also possessed an aggressive streak which made him an extraordinarily formidable opponent when he wasn’t getting into trouble.

Voted the Saints’ fairest and best player on two occasions, Winmar nevertheless often made life difficult for himself by failing to accord members of the club hierarchy the levels of respect they felt they warranted. Ultimately, after one run in with authority too many, Winmar was off-loaded to the Western Bulldogs at the end of the 1998 season. He gave the Bulldogs a serviceable season in 1999 before retiring.

Arguably possessed of sufficient talent to have been one of the few genuine all time greats of the game, Nicky Winmar might nevertheless be adjudged worthy of a place in almost any team because of his ability to excite, enthral, and come up with the unexpected. All told, he played a total of 309 senior league games, comprising 58 with South Fremantle, 230 at St Kilda, and 21 for the Bulldogs.

Author - John Devaney