Matthew Klugman

An account of the famous image of Indigenous St. Kilda AFL player Nicky Winmar responding to racist abuse from some of his Collingwood opponents. The authors interview photographers and explore how that picture came to be of such symbolic importance, and how it has remained something to be re-shown and emulated.

Publishers abstract edited.

The story behind the 1993 photograph of Indigenous AFL player Nicky Winmar which shows him proudly and defiantly pointing to his black skin in response to racist taunts from some Collingwood fans. The image has become an iconic one and this is an account of the circumstances of how it happened and its enduring impact.

Klugman draws on the disciplines of sociology, psychology and cultural analysis, among others, to explore the passion of fans, particularly their inner emotional states.

A diverse set of fans who’ve told their stories in interviews, books, articles, and on footy websites and blogs is explored. Why are football fans so prepared to endure a lot of suffering amongst some brief moments of ecstasy is a key question that is examined. Kulgman’s analysis is very scholarly and well informed by an understanding psychological and sociological theory and studies. The interviews include extracts from female and male fans.