Winmar

[CURLY]

Caught up with Nicky the other day he is now working on a property in Alberton WA shearing sheep. He wants to play football again next season but hasnt decided were. Loves the freedom of what hes doing and he actually thinks he might stick around for a while.

[Bernard Shakey]

Talked to a mate who was over from the West a couple of weeks ago and he said the same thing, except for wanting to play again.

He has been having a few sherberts with Nicky at the local and said he is really enjoying life, but misses his kids.

[yipper]

Interesting after the thread on Plugger - now Winmar's pops up. How good was this bloke? I still reckon he was the most gifted of all the aboriginal players. He had the perfect physique, could kick long and accurately with either foot. Was breathtakingly quick and very strong in his body - a ferocious tackler. The complete package as far as I'm concerned. A truly super player - Winmar to Lockett!! What a combination.

[saintsRrising]

Interesting after the thread on Plugger - now Winmar's pops up. How good was this bloke? I still reckon he was the most gifted of all the aboriginal players. He had the perfect physique, could kick long and accurately with either foot. Was breathtakingly quick and very strong in his body - a ferocious tackler. The complete package as far as I'm concerned. A truly super player - Winmar to Lockett!! What a combination.

Complete...indeed!!

And don't forget those speccies he used to take that had you screaming Wiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnmmmmmmmmmmmaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!

Also loved it when he let go with his occassional torp

I remember Winmar being played on Gary Ablett in the period when Ablett was running rampant in the competition...and Nicky towelled him up.

[yipper]

Interesting after the thread on Plugger - now Winmar's pops up. How good was this bloke? I still reckon he was the most gifted of all the aboriginal players. He had the perfect physique, could kick long and accurately with either foot. Was breathtakingly quick and very strong in his body - a ferocious tackler. The complete package as far as I'm concerned. A truly super player - Winmar to Lockett!! What a combination.

Complete...indeed!!

And don't forget those speccies he used to take that had you screaming Wiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnmmmmmmmmmmmaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!

Also loved it when he let go with his occassional torp

Indeed. Very much a multi-talented player, brilliant mark (and very spectacular), could kick a footy a long way with a perfect torp, and then be in and under, smashing blokes and winning the hard ball. Super player.

[GrumpyOne]

At his peak Nicky was IMO the best all-round footballer I have ever seen. There was not one aspect of the game he did not excell at. Unfortunately, like all gifted players, he struggled to come to terms with his talent, and his personal life was somewhat turbulent. A shy man who was not seeking the attention that he received. I wish him well in whatever direction his life takes him.

[HarveysDeciple]

Was superb as an outside player running down the wink using his silky skills, but then could bust through a pack and win the hard ball or lay a ferocious tackle.

Strong body, great leap, tall enough to play full forward and compete in the air with most.

Excellent kick on both sides.

One touch ball control, read the play superbly, could take a speccy, launch a 65 metre torp or go forward and kick 8 or 9 goals in a game.
It doesn't get much better then that.

Unbelievable player was Nicky.

[bigcarl]

i saw his first game and it was apparent from pretty early on he was going to be a super player. just had that extra bit of time that sets stars apart from GOPs.

as others have said he had no real weaknesses in his game. blistering pace, a superb kick, courageous and a spectacular mark.

i was virtually right beneath him (in the animal enclosure at moorabbin one day in the late 1980s) when he took one of the best marks i've seen. though i think it was caught on camera the angle didn't do the mark justice.

it was one of those marks where the player leaps twice ... once from the ground, then again from the shoulders or back of his opponent. sort of a springboard effect. an unforgettable moment.

his delivery to - and understanding with - lockett had to be seen to be believed

[st_Trav_ofWA]

i remember him being able to scoop the ball up in the pouring rain with one hand without breacking stride take 4 steps and bomb it 50m to a player and hit him dead on the chest ... supurb kick great mark and compleate footy brain easily by a long way the greatest aboriginal player ive seen play the game

[Animal Enclosure]

Cuz was & still is my favorite player ever. If he had the longevity and stable off field life of some other, he'd be regarded as one of the best ever.

It was one of my saddest days ever when he went off at Franchina... I knew then that he'd run his race at St.Kilda.

[bigcarl]

kicked a torpedo goal from centre wing at the mcg one day. must have gone 85-90 metres

[Dan Warna]

Interesting after the thread on Plugger - now Winmar's pops up. How good was this bloke? I still reckon he was the most gifted of all players. He had the perfect physique, could kick long and accurately with either foot. Was breathtakingly quick and very strong in his body - a ferocious tackler. The complete package as far as I'm concerned. A truly super player - Winmar to Lockett!! What a combination.

corrected for improved accuracy

[Garibaldi]

Cuz was & still is my favorite player ever. If he had the longevity and stable off field life of some other, he'd be regarded as one of the best ever.

I'll second that.

[riccardo]

Absolutely loved Nicky, he was my hero and the reason I barrack for the Saints.

Meeting him a year ago was truly one of the best days of my life, it would be good to see him again, but not sure that will happen now.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

didnt he used to present the nicky winmar plate to the winner of the westcoast saints games ? cant remember seeing this happen in the last few years

[riccardo]

didnt he used to present the nicky winmar plate to the winner of the westcoast saints games ? cant remember seeing this happen in the last few years

They had it in '04 and '05, I don't think they do it anymore, sadly.

[Back In Town]

Saw Nicky play a practice game against Essendon at Moorabbin when he first came to us. You could see then that he was going to be a very "special" player. He was just so talented. A very modest man.

It was an absolute joy to watch him play for us over the years. I loved Nicky more than any of our other champs at the time. Such a pity how he did not finish on a high at the SAINTS. Hope he is happy and looks back on his time in footy as a SAINT with much pride.

[Dan Warna]

i remember in 92 before the game against teh doggies, he was carrying his kids into the stadium waved at all the saints fans walking by.

you wouldn't think it was him.

[sunsaint]

Complete...indeed!!
<snip>
I remember Winmar being played on Gary Ablett in the period when Ablett was running rampant in the competition...and Nicky towelled him up.

A day out at the "G" if I remember.
Played in defense and then switched to the forward line. Great game!
Speaking of toughness, the guy was carved out of granite. Another game against North out at Waverley, I watched Schwass line Winmar up with a hip and shoulder. Nicky saw him coming, braced himself for impact, and Schwass went down liked a bag of fairy floss. When the trainors picked him up he had a broken forearm.

Will never forgive Brereton for the racial slur that cost Winmar about 5 weeks for kicking. And the jumper incident is just another reason to hate the filth for the rest of my life.

Winmar is one of the Saints best top ten. And we could do with his presence in todays side, that little bit of "magic" is sadly lacking.

[claystreet]

got a bit shyt faced with Nick 1 or 2 times, a real nice bloke
who never really showed what he was capable of, meaning what you saw wasnt ever really his best well maybe some glimpses of it. If he could have been consistent WOW put down your glasses

A 70metre torp at training before warm up
was what he could do easy, dont know how he didnt snap a hammy

[rodgerfox]

It's easy to forget how good some of these blokes were.

And it's fascinating to watch an old replay and ponder how good they would be in the modern game.

Rod Keogh is one. I watched a replay of a game back in late 96 recently and thought to myself that Rod Keogh would be considered elite in the comp if he played now.

His style of play and the things he was good at are things that in the game right now, are considered to be of absolute value and incredibly rare.

Nicky Winmar is another, moreso.

Line breaker. Goal kicking midfielder. Brutal tackler. Intimidator. Marking midfielder. Brilliant skills on both sides. Fast. Strong. Brilliant by both hand and foot. Could play any posi. Match winner. Big game player. Footy smarts.

No modern player has all these attributes in one package. If they come close, they're hailed as Jesus.


Watching footy from 10-15 years ago is great. Watching Nicky break a line and drill a 45m pass onto the chest of a leading forward, and the commentators barely mentioning it.

If that happens these days it's considered a miracle and a feat of epic proportions.

He did it 8 times a week.

[saint66au]

I remember his first season, either his first or second game was against Brisbane (Bears) at Moorabbin

As he glided down the Members wing and settled to slam it lace out to Plugger, Dick Mason commented about his "lovely golden tan"

Best indigenous footballer Ive ever seen. If todays young un's reckon Davey, Lovett or X Clarke have a touch of class..dig out some games from the 90's and be prepared to gasp in disbelief at some of the things he did. Made D Kerr look like Richard Lounder (ask your parents kids hehe) by comparison...imagine Judd armed with those "tricks" that only indigenous players seem to be able to master...that was Cuz

[brown-coat]

Winmar!! Now there was a player who was seething with applied talent and ability.

Such a marvel to behold! A perfectly balanced footballer.

If todays young un's reckon Davey, Lovett or X Clarke

Exactly. Why we always have to compare aboriginal players to aboriginal players..i don't know. But i will go ahead anyway, Winmar makes Davey, Lovett and Clarke look like clumsy bumbling hacks!

[jonesy]

Had no football weaknesses,apart from mental every now and then he'd go off. The most complete player I've seen. Would be a champion of today's game. Not that he wasn't in his own era,it's just he, like Lockett, had the misfortune of playing for a club that had a terrible culture

It p*sses me off when people say Long was better than Winmar,what a joke!

[Enrico_Misso]

kicked a torpedo goal from centre wing at the mcg one day. must have gone 85-90 metres

Yes I remember seeing that.
I think it was against Hawthorn or Geelong.

There was of course the Faletic goal, and Perovic let one rip at Princes Park, but I think this was as long as any of them.