View source for Chris Mainwaring

{{short description|Australian rules footballer (born 1965)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Chris Mainwaring
| image = Chris Mainwaring.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Mainwaring in 1996
| fullname = Christopher Douglas Mainwaring
| nickname = Mainy
| birth_date = {{birth date|1965|12|27|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Geraldton, Western Australia]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2007|10|1|1965|12|27|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Cottesloe, Western Australia]]
| originalteam = Geraldton Rovers ([[Great Northern Football League|GNFL]])
| height = 177&nbsp;cm
| weight = 85&nbsp;kg
| position = Wing
| statsend = 1999
| years1 = 1985–1999
| club1 = {{WAFL|EF}}
| games_goals1 = {{0}}61 {{0}}(43)
| years2 = 1987–1999
| club2 = {{AFL|WC}}
| games_goals2 = 201 {{0}}(84)
| games_goalstotal    = 262 (127)
| sooyears1             = 1987–1992
| sooteam1            = [[Western Australia Australian rules football team|Western Australia]]
| soogames_goals1      = 8 (0)
| careerhighlights = * 2× [[List of VFL/AFL premiers|AFL Premiership player]]: ([[1992 AFL Grand Final|1992]], [[1994 AFL Grand Final|1994]])
* [[List of West Australian Football League premiers|WAFL Premiership player]]: ([[1985 WAFL Grand Final|1985]])
* {{AFL WC}} Rookie of the Year 1987
* 2× [[All-Australian team]]: (1991, 1996)
* {{AFL WC}} Team of the Decade <small>(1996)</small>
* {{WAFL|EF}} Team of the Century <small>(1997)</small>
* [[West Australian Football Hall of Fame]], inducted 2005
* [[West Coast Eagles#Hall of Fame inductees|West Coast Hall of Fame]], inducted 2014
}}

'''Christopher Douglas Mainwaring''' (27 December 1965{{snd}}1 October 2007) was an [[Australian rules football]]er who played for the [[West Coast Eagles]] in the [[Australian Football League]] (AFL) and for the [[East Fremantle Football Club]] in the [[West Australian Football League]] (WAFL).

Adored by young fans for his handsome appearance, Mainwaring was one of the most popular footballers of his era. At his peak, he was one of the finest wingmen in the AFL, forming a devastating midfield combination with [[Peter Matera]] in the early 1990s, but after a serious knee injury in 1997 he was never able to recapture his best form.

After retiring in 1999, Mainwaring worked as a [[television presenter]] and [[sports journalist]] with the [[Seven Network]] and a [[radio presenter]] with [[Mix 94.5]] before his death in 2007 from a drug overdose at the age of 41.

==Football career==
Mainwaring was born in the coastal [[Western Australia]]n town of [[Geraldton, Western Australia|Geraldton]], over 400 kilometres north of [[Perth, Western Australia|Perth]] to Hubert Mainwaring and his wife Leah (née Cripps). He started his football career with the Greenough Demons (Rovers) before being recruited by {{WAFL|EF}} in 1985. In his first season, he was a member of the [[Western Australia Australian rules football team|Western Australian]] [[Interstate matches in Australian rules football|State of Origin]] team and played in a Sharks premiership team.

He was a member of the [[West Coast Eagles]]' inaugural squad in 1987. He made his debut in round three that year, against [[Sydney Swans|Sydney]] at [[Subiaco Oval|Subiaco]] and afterwards only missed one game for the season.<ref>[http://stats.afl.com.au/public/statistics/player_roundbyround/1987/13/player_roundbyround_13_1987.shtml?club_idIndex=16&season_idIndex=20 AFL 1987 Stats] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930061638/http://stats.afl.com.au/public/statistics/player_roundbyround/1987/13/player_roundbyround_13_1987.shtml?club_idIndex=16&season_idIndex=20 |date=30 September 2007 }}</ref> and was named their best first-year player.<ref>[http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/Eagles/TheClub/History/HonourRoll/tabid/7271/Default.aspx West Coast Eagles Honour Roll]</ref> Mainwaring played for the Eagles on the [[Football (Australian rules) positions#Midfield|wing]] and contributed greatly to their success, playing in both their 1992 and 1994 premierships. The image of him leaping with joy at the conclusion of the game, despite having a broken ankle, is one of the lasting images of the Eagles' first premiership.

Mainwaring was an [[All-Australian Team|All-Australian]] in 1991 and 1996 and has been named on the wing in the West Coast Eagles' [[West Coast Eagles#Team of the Decade|Team of the Decade]] in 1996, [[West Coast Eagles#Team 20|Team20]] in 2006 and East Fremantle's Team of the Century in 1997. Whilst he never won the [[best and fairest|Club Champion]] award at the Eagles, he finished in the top 10 eight times, including placing third in both his debut and second years in the VFL and second in 1989, 1992 and 1996.<ref>[http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/TheClub/History/ClubRecords/ClubChampionAward19872006/tabid/7274/Default.aspx West Coast Eagles Club Champions]</ref>

In 1997, he suffered a knee injury, which required a [[knee reconstruction]] and this put him out of action for the rest of that season. In 1998, while he was attempting to regain form, Mainwaring spent most of the season playing for the Sharks, before making his return to the West Coast side late that year. After another season in which he was in and out of the Eagles' side (and playing for [[East Fremantle Football Club|East Fremantle]]), Mainwaring retired from AFL football.

He wore the Eagles' number 3 guernsey, a number which had only been worn by him and [[Chris Judd]] during the Eagles' history. The club retired the number for the following three seasons, until it was revived by Eagles' draft pick [[Andrew Gaff]] in 2011.

After leaving football, Mainwaring took a job with [[Seven News]]. By 2007, he was reading the sport at the weekend, as well as reporting during the week. He also read the sport headlines during the news on Perth radio station [[Mix 94.5]] from 5:30 to 9:00&nbsp;am.
In 2005 he was a reporter for the Seven News desk.
Between 2001 and his death, he was a member of the selection panel for the All-Australian team and the [[AFL Rising Star]].<ref name="AgeMystery">Scott Spits and Dan Harrison; "[http://realfooty.com.au/news/news/tributes-flow-for-eagle/2007/10/01/1191090992510.html Mystery surrounds ex-Eagle Mainwaring's death] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013111057/http://realfooty.com.au/news/news/tributes-flow-for-eagle/2007/10/01/1191090992510.html |date=13 October 2007 }}"; [[The Age]]; 1 October 2007</ref>
He was married to Rani and had two children.

==Statistics==
:<ref>[https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/C/Chris_Mainwaring.html Chris Mainwaring's player profile at AFL Tables]</ref>

{{AFL player statistics legend}}
{{AFL player statistics start with votes}}
|-
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1987 VFL season|1987]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WC}}
| 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 VFL season|1988]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WC}}
| 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 VFL season|1989]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WC}}
| 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 AFL season|1990]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WC}}
| 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 AFL season|1991]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WC}}
| 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 AFL season|1992]]†
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WC}}
| 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 AFL season|1993]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WC}}
| 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 AFL season|1994]]†
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WC}}
| 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 AFL season|1995]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WC}}
| 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 AFL season|1996]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WC}}
| 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 AFL season|1997]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WC}}
| 3 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 2 || 1 || 0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 2.0 || 0.0 || 2.0 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 0
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [[1998 AFL season|1998]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WC}}
| 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 AFL season|1999]]
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WC}}
| 3 || 5 || 1 || 1 || 53 || 14 || 67 || 16 || 6 || 0.2 || 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==
{{wikinews|Champion AFL footballer Chris Mainwaring dies}}

Mainwaring died in the early hours of 1 October 2007 after being rushed to [[Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22554315-5013404,00.html|title=Family, friends and fans bid farewell|publisher=[[The Australian]] Online|date=9 October 2007|access-date=10 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013114712/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22554315-5013404,00.html|archive-date=13 October 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> Police and ambulance had been called to his address earlier that night after a complaint about a man yelling in the street. After Mainwaring refused assistance from the ambulance crew, he was released to the care of a neighbour. About an hour later, emergency services were called back to the property after he had convulsions and collapsed. Mainwaring reportedly told paramedics during the first visit that he had taken ecstasy and smoked cannabis.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=42066|title=Desperate Mainy called out for help in the night|publisher=[[The West Australian]] Online|date=2 October 2007|access-date=2 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024030443/http://thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=42066|archive-date=24 October 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/10/02/2048973.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071005181143/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/10/02/2048973.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 October 2007|title=Devastated Cousins was with Mainwaring: West Coast|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] Online|date=2 October 2007}}</ref> Former Eagles player [[Ben Cousins]] spent time with Mainwaring on Sunday. According to the WA State Coroner's report, Mainwaring had a seizure and died after overdosing on cocaine, rather than several different drugs as media reports originally claimed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/6957167/mainwaring-overdosed-on-cocaine/ |title=Mainwaring 'overdosed on cocaine' |author=Adshead, Gary |date=20 March 2010 |work=[[The West Australian]] |access-date=22 June 2010}}</ref>

Mainwaring was to compete in a celebrity [[kickboxing]] event run by the [[World Kickboxing Association]] at [[Challenge Stadium]] on 4 October 2007 for charity.<ref>"[http://www.challengestadium.wa.gov.au/news.php?newsid=1486 Telethon Celebrity Fight Night] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109041357/http://www.challengestadium.wa.gov.au/news.php?newsid=1486 |date=9 November 2007 }}"; Retrieved 2 October 2007</ref> He had also been invited by the AFL to hold one of the Eagles' premiership cups during the [[2007 AFL Grand Final]] pre-game entertainment, but he cancelled in the week prior to the game, instead staying in [[Perth]].<ref name="AgeMystery"/>

Mainwaring's memorial service was held on 8 October 2007 at [[Christ Church Grammar School]], [[Claremont, Western Australia|Claremont]]. About 1,200 people attended the service, including 300 who watched on a big screen outside the chapel. A memorial match was played between his old club and rivals [[Fremantle Football Club|Fremantle]] in 2008, with the Eagles winning by 25 points. His two young children, along with the Matera trio, also played in the match.
 
The West Coast Eagles retired Mainwaring's number 3 jumper for the following three seasons as a mark of respect, and the club named its [[West Coast Eagles#List of seasons|Best Clubman]] award the Chris Mainwaring Medal in his honour. The Roberts Road wing of [[Subiaco Oval]] was named The Chris Mainwaring Wing for all West Coast Eagles home games, until the club moved its home games to the new [[Perth Stadium]] in 2018.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{AFL Tables}}
* {{AustralianFootball}}
* {{WAFL FootyFacts}}
* [https://www.wafootballhalloffame.com.au/inductees/1709-chris-mainwaring Profile] at WA Football Hall of Fame

{{East Fremantle Football Club Team of the Century}}
{{WA State of Origin captains}}
{{1992 West Coast Eagles premiership players}}
{{1994 West Coast Eagles premiership players}}
{{1991 All-Australian team}}
{{1996 All-Australian team}}
{{1987 Western Australia State of Origin players}}
{{1991 Western Australia State of Origin players}}
{{1992 Western Australia State of Origin players}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mainwaring, Chris}}
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:2007 deaths]]
[[Category:All-Australians (AFL)]]
[[Category:Australian radio journalists]]
[[Category:Australian radio presenters]]
[[Category:Drug-related deaths in Australia]]
[[Category:Cocaine-related deaths]]
[[Category:East Fremantle Football Club players]]
[[Category:Seven News presenters]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from Geraldton]]
[[Category:West Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:West Coast Eagles players]]
[[Category:West Coast Eagles premiership players]]
[[Category:Western Australian State of Origin players]]
[[Category:VFL/AFL premiership players]]