Winton was a gifted forward in his youth, topping the goal-kicking in the 1982 Under-19s competition.
In his first two seasons with Essendon, the club won premierships, and as a result he was only able to break into the team on three occasions during this time.
[3] When Essendon were unable to satisfy his salary expectations, he was released by the club and signed by St Kilda, with the first pick of the pre-season draft.
[4] Although he kicked three goals on his St Kilda debut, against the Brisbane Bears, Winton played just four more league games.
[2] He then played for both Prahran and Sandringham in the Victorian Football Association, followed by a stint as coach of Cheltenham from 1996 to 1999 .