Nicky Winmar to be honoured with statue.

[PowerForGood]

Great idea.

And why not at Perth? No one in Victoria has thought about doing anything since, so why get so upset * because someone else is doing something about it now?




* Actually we all know why they are getting upset but this isn't the thread to go over old ground...

 

[Feerits Elf]

Cant be treated like Barnaby's new child access arrangements.

Its a bloody great statue mate...will probably weigh a ton

Nonsense!

Statues are PORTABLE no matter how big.

 

[Plugger35]

I read somewhere years ago that Winmar lifted his jumper and pointed to his stomach to show the Collingwood ferals that he played with guts that day rather than pointing to his skin to say he was proud to be black, then when that photo of him got turned into a big racial incident he just decided to roll with it.

 

[10571z]

What a great idea. Why not the MCG? Would be such a great thing to see for generations to come.

I bet many young kids would ask their parents about it. Imagine being to explain to young kids what the statue meant.

No offence to saints fans wanting at morrabin but it would get barely an exposure there.

 

[Feerits Elf]

He was speaking to his wife about their situation but ended up fighting with her male friend as he went to leave. The three had been drinking goon.

lolwut

 

[Bollox]

Nonsense!

You cant just go around taking people out of context like that.

It is still possible to move a 50 ton, 10m high bronze statue of Winmar straight up and down Punt Rd
I'm simply saying maybe not a few times a week.

If it was made of papier mache i might agree.

 

[Feerits Elf]

You cant just go around taking people out of context like that.

It is still possible to move a 50 ton, 10m high bronze statue of Winmar straight up and down Punt Rd
I'm simply saying maybe not a few times a week.

If it was made of papier mache i might agree.

Are you being serious?

 

[Ron The Bear]

Absolutely should not be placed at Perth Stadium.

There are plenty of amazing moments and achievements in WA sport without needing to transplant this to Perth.

Agree in principle, but it's only fair that Perth people cop their share of leftist indoctrination.

 

[bird_man]

Disappointed there is no statue happening At Moorabbin, but not upset it’s happening in Perth.

There is nothing stopping the Saints from putting one there. There’s no reason there can’t be two.

 

[stax on the mull]

I read somewhere years ago that Winmar lifted his jumper and pointed to his stomach to show the Collingwood ferals that he played with guts that day rather than pointing to his skin to say he was proud to be black, then when that photo of him got turned into a big racial incident he just decided to roll with it.

I don't think he was pointing just to respond to the crowd who were making comments about the resilience of his digestive tract.

 

[hoianbulldog]

Absolutely should not be placed at Perth Stadium.

There are plenty of amazing moments and achievements in WA sport without needing to transplant this to Perth.

If they do insist on putting up statues for people who never actually played a game at the new stadium, at least focus on players who played the majority of the career in the West.

As far as it from some kind of amazing ‘Racism in Sport’ moment...fine...put out the front of Victoria Park.

A great idea for the statue but WTF perth? I think the mcg is a better fit. He played in vic, it was a significant moment for football and the mcg is the home of football in victoria.

 

[Maylandsman]

A great idea for the statue but WTF perth? I think the mcg is a better fit. He played in vic, it was a significant moment for football and the mcg is the home of football in victoria.

Born and bred sandgroper, you can have wowoden.

 

[hoianbulldog]

Agreed. If he wasn't from WA I probably wouldn't be all that keen, but I'd like to see us create something like a 'WA sportsperson hall of fame' at the new stadium in the form of statues/plaques/sculptures/art installations etc so this would hopefully be a catalyst for something like that.

It makes more sense if their sporting achievments we in and / or representing WA. You've got a few.

 

[Predator35]

I read somewhere years ago that Winmar lifted his jumper and pointed to his stomach to show the Collingwood ferals that he played with guts that day rather than pointing to his skin to say he was proud to be black, then when that photo of him got turned into a big racial incident he just decided to roll with it.

That’s my recollection of it also.

 

[theyellowsash]

Looking forward to all the booing when it's unveiled. After all, that's what Australia does when an aboriginal speaks up about racism.

 

[Mningasimisonda]

Agree in principle, but it's only fair that Perth people cop their share of leftist indoctrination.

Indoctrination is stuff that people are taught to accept like religious and political dogma. These generally override the people's basic human instincts, and somewhat sociopathic actions like racism without remorse might be the result of indoctrination.

I'm not sure you can call actions based on basic human instincts like empathy indoctrination. It's more just noticing and acknowledging cause and effect. Like what are people supposedly indoctrinated in? Resisting the instinct to be an arsehole to other races?

 

[Ron The Bear]

Indoctrination is stuff that people are taught to accept like religious and political dogma. These generally override the people's basic human instincts, and somewhat sociopathic actions like racism without remorse might be the result of indoctrination.

I'm not sure you can call actions based on basic human instincts like empathy indoctrination. It's more just noticing and acknowledging cause and effect. Like what are people supposedly indoctrinated in? Resisting the instinct to be an arsehole to other races?

It's something that's been magnified in hindsight. At the time it merited a smallish article in the Sunday paper and wasn't a major discussion point. THe Long/Monkhorst incident a few years later reverberated far more. As for the assertion above that the point being made was "guts", not "black", I can't recall. It just wasn't that big a deal.

If the statue is not at least partly politically motivated, then why now, when the number of Aboriginal players is in slight decline after peaking a decade ago?

None of which is a knock on Winmar, a top player and an entertainer.

 

[stax on the mull]

It just wasn't that big a deal.

If you're not the victim of it, or if doesn't bother you that its happening to someone else, then of course its going to seem trivial to you - especially if you have the opinion that the importance of an issue is related to the amount of copy it gets in the Sunday papers that you read.

 

[cub]

Absolutely should not be placed at Perth Stadium.

There are plenty of amazing moments and achievements in WA sport without needing to transplant this to Perth.

If they do insist on putting up statues for people who never actually played a game at the new stadium, at least focus on players who played the majority of the career in the West.

As far as it from some kind of amazing ‘Racism in Sport’ moment...fine...put out the front of Victoria Park.

Cuz should have one at the new Perth stadium

 

[Ron The Bear]

If you're not the victim of it, or if doesn't bother you that its happening to someone else, then of course its going to seem trivial to you - especially if you have the opinion that the importance of an issue is related to the amount of copy it gets in the Sunday papers that you read.

I concede it makes a fine-looking statue.

 

[Back One Out]

I don’t really think Nicky Winmar’s stand against racist Collingwood supporters, while playing for a Victorian club, in Victoria, holds any place at all at Perth Stadium. Proud Nyoongar man or not...

Geez mate... What do you want? A statue of Daniel Kerr pushing Ben Cousins down a flight of stairs?

Nicky Winmar was a WA champion whose gesture in 1993 transcended the sport. It was bigger than St Kilda or Collingwood, West Coast or Fremantle, or even the AFL. It's become Australia's version of the MLK "I had a dream" speech and the black power salute at the 1968 Olympics.

I think it's a positive step for WA that they've decided to commemorate the proud Nyoongar icon and his role in Australian history.

Probably time for the AFL Hall of Fame selectors to follow suit.

 

[Frank Gallagher]

They should put it at the old Tunnel nightclub where i once saw him at 5am, 9 hours before a game!

 

[blue harvest]

A great idea for the statue but WTF perth? I think the mcg is a better fit. He played in vic, it was a significant moment for football and the mcg is the home of football in victoria.

MCG has set criteria, you need to have performed at a high level at the ground.

 

[Altum Volantes]

Geez mate... What do you want? A statue of Daniel Kerr pushing Ben Cousins down a flight of stairs?

Nicky Winmar was a WA champion whose gesture in 1993 transcended the sport. It was bigger than St Kilda or Collingwood, West Coast or Fremantle, or even the AFL. It's become Australia's version of the MLK "I had a dream" speech and the black power salute at the 1968 Olympics.

I think it's a positive step for WA that they've decided to commemorate the proud Nyoongar icon and his role in Australian history.

Probably time for the AFL Hall of Fame selectors to follow suit.

Did you even read my posts?

I don’t think the new stadium is a place to commemorate something that happened over the other side of the country.

I’d also prefer they didn’t put up statues of players that never actually perform at the stadium. Whether that’s Peter Matera, Matthew Pavlich or Adam Gilchrist.

Also please reign in the historical revisionist bullshit. Those of old enough to remember 1993 know that Winmar’s gesture was largely overlooked at the time. You want your ‘MLK’ of Aboriginal Footballers, it’s Michael Long.

 

[Back One Out]

I don’t think the new stadium is a place to commemorate something that happened over the other side of the country.

What sort of perverse logic is that? How insular and parochial can you get?

I suppose we should remove every war memorial or statue here in Oz because the battles took place overseas?

I’d also prefer they didn’t put up statues of players that never actually perform at the stadium. Whether that’s Peter Matera, Matthew Pavlich or Adam Gilchrist.

FFS, mate... Why do you have to be such a curmudgeon? There IS NO history with the new stadium. What do you suggest they do for the next 25 years until someone is worthy in your eyes of a statute?

It's not about the actual playing field inside the stadium anyway. The Perth Stadium is the new epicentre of sport in WA: footy, cricket, soccer... So if a WA fast bowler emerges in the next few years and goes on to break Warnie's records (but never takes 5 wickets in Perth) then he'll also be a prime candidate for a statue somewhere around the stadium.

John Coleman played just 10 games at the MCG over his career and Keith Miller played just 8 test matches at the MCG. Both have statues there, not for what they did at the ground itself, but as recognition for their contribution to their sport and Aussie culture.

A statue of Nicky Winmar giving the finger to racism is as good as anything I can think of. Powerful. Momentous. An important part of Australian folklore.

Feel free to ignore it on your way into the ground...

Also please reign in the historical revisionist bullshit. Those of old enough to remember 1993 know that Winmar’s gesture was largely overlooked at the time. You want your ‘MLK’ of Aboriginal Footballers, it’s Michael Long.

Disagree.

I was a fully grown man in 1993, watching the game live on TV and Nicky's stand was HUGE at the time and as a symbolic moment, it just got bigger with each passing year. Longy's line in the sand was also an important watershed moment, but it was basically a mishandled spat between 2 players which led to a new rule. Whereas Nicky Winmar planted his flag out in the middle of a hostile environment, surrounded by 30,000 jeering spitting feral Magpie fans and it sparked a period of our history when we were forced to confront our inherent racism in our game, on the terraces and in our society. Fact. Nothing revisionist about it...

Obviously you were too young to fully appreciate it, or too immersed in your beloved Eagles to notice, or simply weren't paying attention.