Disgraced footy legend Nicky Winmar is set to face further dishonour after St Kilda called an emergency board meeting.
The club is currently trying to decide whether to remove their former player from the Hall of Fame following his conviction for assault charges.
A decision could be made in the coming hours or days following an online meeting, due to a number of the eight-member board being overseas.
Winmar has already had his statue removed from outside Perth’s Optus stadium following direction from Western Australia authorities.
The AFL have also confirmed they are currently reviewing his place in the league’s Hall of Fame.
For either or both of St Kilda and the league to remove him their respective Halls of Fame, a more formal review is required than that used to tear down his statue.
Nicky Winmar is facing more dishonour with St Kilda now reviewing his place in their Hall of Fame
The AFL board had previously opened a review into his place in the league’s Hall of Fame
Western Australia authorities had taken down Winmar’s statue from outside Perth’s Optus Stadium immediately after the verdict
St Kilda CEO Carl Dilena was careful not to suggest the board had already made a decision but confirmed he was trying to get the directors together as soon as possible.
‘First and foremost we are totally against any form of violence and particularly against women and we were a bit shocked to see what came out of that case. Like the AFL, our board needs to think about it and work through it,’ he told SEN.
‘I have been providing them with all the information I have on that and we will try to convene a discussion with them probably tomorrow night. We weren’t scheduled to have a board meeting this month and half the board are overseas at the moment.
‘I am trying to juggle different time zones to get them together for a chat, work through it and then we will work out what path we take.’
As is the case with St Kilda, AFL CEO Andrew Dillon called their review an ‘ongoing process.’
‘I will start with saying that violence of any sort but particularly against women is unacceptable in any form. Nicky has gone before the courts, been found guilty,’ he said.
‘Under the Australian Football hall of fame charter there is an ability for a review to occur if there is a conviction of an offence. That review is undergoing at the moment. I don’t want to get in front of the review but there is a process and it’s ongoing now.’
Western Australian authorities wasted no time as workers used a crane to take down the $100,000 piece after Premier Roger Cook ordered its removal in the wake of the guilty finding.
Winmar was found guilty of smashing a woman’s head against a door during a petrifying attack in northern Victoria on May 14 last year.
Cook directed VenuesWest to bring down the statue shortly after the verdict was handed down in Bendigo Magistrates’ Court.
‘Violence against women is never acceptable, and it is important we send a strong message to the community,’ Cook said.
‘Following Nicky Winmar’s conviction, I’m of the firm view that it is no longer appropriate for that statue to be displayed.’
