Chris Mainwaring
Chris Mainwaring | |
|---|---|
| Born | Christopher Douglas Mainwaring 27 December 1965 Geraldton, Western Australia, Australia |
| Died | 1 October 2007 (aged 41) Perth, Western Australia, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Australian rules footballer, television presenter, sports journalist, radio host |
| Years active | 1985–1999 (football), 1999–2007 (media) |
| Known for | Playing for West Coast Eagles and East Fremantle; sports presenting at Seven Network; radio hosting on Mix 94.5 |
Christopher Douglas Mainwaring (27 December 1965 – 1 October 2007) was a distinguished Australian rules football player, representing the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL) and the East Fremantle Football Club in the West Australian Football League (WAFL).
Celebrated for his expertise as a wingman, Mainwaring was an integral part of the Eagles' midfield lineup throughout the early 1990s, notably forming a strong on-field connection with Peter Matera. Although a significant knee injury in 1997 impacted his playing ability, he continued to be held in high regard until his retirement in 1999.
After concluding his athletic career, Mainwaring moved into broadcasting, serving as a television presenter and sports journalist with the Seven Network, as well as a radio host on Mix 94.5. He passed away in 2007 at the age of 41 due to a drug overdose.
Football career
Originating from Geraldton, Western Australia, Mainwaring's football journey began with the Greenough Demons before he joined East Fremantle in 1985. In his first season, he was part of East Fremantle's premiership-winning side and also represented Western Australia in State of Origin competitions.
Mainwaring became a member of the West Coast Eagles' initial AFL roster in 1987, making his debut in round three and missing only one match that year. Recognized as the club’s best newcomer, he mainly played on the wing and played a vital role in the Eagles’ premiership triumphs in 1992 and 1994. His post-1992 victory celebration, despite suffering a broken ankle, remains one of the club’s most memorable moments.
He received All-Australian selections twice (in 1991 and 1996) and was honored by inclusion on the wing in the Eagles' Team of the Decade (1996), Team20 (2006), and East Fremantle's Team of the Century (1997). Although he never secured the Eagles’ Club Champion award, he consistently placed within the top ten eight times.
A knee reconstruction sustained in 1997 caused him to miss most of that season. He spent much of 1998 regaining match fitness with East Fremantle before rejoining West Coast late that year. After alternating between teams during 1999, Mainwaring retired from AFL competition.
He donned the Eagles’ number 3 jersey, which was withdrawn for three seasons following his retirement before being reassigned to Andrew Gaff in 2011.
Following his playing days, Mainwaring worked as a sports reporter and weekend presenter for Seven News. By 2007, he was also delivering sports updates during morning shifts on Perth’s Mix 94.5 radio station. Between 2001 and his passing, he participated on selection committees for both the All-Australian team and the AFL Rising Star award.
Mainwaring was married to Rani and was a father to two children.
Statistics
|- |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1987 |style="text-align:center;"| | 3 || 19 || 6 || 6 || 308 || 73 || 381 || 114 || 32 || 0.3 || 0.3 || 16.2 || 3.8 || 20.1 || 6.0 || 1.7 || 5 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1988 |style="text-align:center;"| | 3 || 20 || 11 || 7 || 331 || 124 || 455 || 97 || 30 || 0.6 || 0.4 || 16.6 || 6.2 || 22.8 || 4.9 || 1.5 || 13 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1989 |style="text-align:center;"| | 3 || 20 || 3 || 23 || 340 || 140 || 480 || 95 || 29 || 0.2 || 1.2 || 17.0 || 7.0 || 24.0 || 4.8 || 1.5 || 7 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1990 |style="text-align:center;"| |3||21||7||15||331||148||479||91||38||0.3||0.7||15.8||7.0||22.8||4.3||1.8||8 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1991 |style="text-align:center;"| |3||21||16||9||369||139||508||114||25||0.8||0.4||17.6||6.6||24.2||5.4||1.2||6 |- |style="text-align:center;background:#afe6ba;"|1992† |style="text-align:center;"| |3||25||10||13||409||140||549||97||45||0.4||0.5||16.4||5.6||22.0||3.9||1.8||10 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1993 |style="text-align:center;"| |3||12||10||9||206||56||262||45||20||0.8||0.8||17.2||4.7||21.8||3.8||1.7||0 |- |style="text-align:center;background:#afe6ba;"|1994† |style="text-align:center;"| |3||23||7||8||360||130||490||101||44||0.3||0.3||15.7||5.7||21.3||4.4|||1 .9|||6 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1995 |style="text-align:center;"| |3|||9|||1|||6|||131|||47|||178|||36|||18|||0 .1|||0 .7|||14 .6|||5 .2|||19 .8|||4 .0|||2 .0|||1 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1996 |style="text-align:center;"| |3|||22|||12|||11|||351|||114|||465|||94|||41|||0 .5|||0 .5|||16 .0|||5 .2|||21 .1|||4 .3|||1 .9|||12 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1997 |style="text-align:center;"| |3|||1|||0|||0|||2|||0|||2|||1|||0|||0|||2|||0|||2|||1|||0|||0 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1998 |style="text-align:center;"| |3|||3|||0|||0|||12|||4|||16|||3|||2|||0 .0|||0 .0|||4 .0|||1 .3|||5 .3|||1 .0|||0 .7|||0 |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1999 |style="text-align:center;"| |3|||5|||1|||1|||53|||14|||67|||16|||6|||0 .2'||'|' '|' '|'10 .6'||' '|' '|' '|'2 .8'||' '|' '|' '|'13 .4'||' '|' '|' '|'3 .2'||' '|' '|' '|'1 .2'||' '|' '|' '|'0 |- class="sortbottom" ! colspan=3 | Career !201 !84 !108 !3203 !1129 !4332 !904 !330 !0 .4 !0 .5 !15 .9 !5 .6 !21 .6 !4 .5 !1 .6 !68 |}
Death
Chris Mainwaring passed away in the early morning of 1 October 2007 after being transported to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. Earlier that evening, emergency services responded to his residence following reports of a man shouting. Initially, Mainwaring declined medical help and was left under the supervision of a neighbour. Approximately one hour later, paramedics were called back when he experienced seizures and collapsed. During their initial attendance, Mainwaring reportedly informed the paramedics that he had consumed ecstasy and smoked cannabis. However, the Western Australia State Coroner's findings later clarified that his cause of death was a cocaine overdose, amending earlier press coverage that suggested multiple substances were involved.
Mainwaring had been slated to participate in a celebrity kickboxing event hosted by the World Kickboxing Association at Challenge Stadium on 4 October 2007, which was organized for charitable purposes. Additionally, he was invited by the AFL to appear with one of the Eagles' premiership trophies during the pre-game festivities of the 2007 AFL Grand Final, but he withdrew shortly before the event and remained in Perth.
A memorial service honoring Mainwaring was held on 8 October 2007 at Christ Church Grammar School in Claremont, drawing an attendance of around 1,200 people. In 2008, a commemorative match took place between his former team and their rivals, Fremantle, with the Eagles securing a 25-point victory. Mainwaring’s two children and the Matera brothers took part in this tribute game.
As a tribute, the West Coast Eagles retired the number 3 guernsey for three seasons and established the Chris Mainwaring Medal, awarded annually to their Best Clubman. Moreover, during Eagles home matches at Subiaco Oval, the Roberts Road stand was designated The Chris Mainwaring Wing until the club relocated to Perth Stadium in 2018.
External links
- Profile at WA Football Hall of Fame