Mark Bairstow

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Mark Bairstow was a well known player in the Western Australian Football League (WAFL). Playing for South Fremantle in 1986, he won the best and fairest award for the WAFL, the Sandover Medal.

[edit] VFL/AFL

As part of then-coach John Devine's mass-recruit-drive in 1986 and 1987, players such as Dwayne Russell, Billy Brownless, Bruce Lindner, Barry Stoneham as well as Bairstow were picked up by the Geelong Football Club.

Bairstow debuted for Geelong in 1987 and soon became Geelong's main ruck-rover. In the late 1980s, Geelong's midfield would be among the better in the then Victorian Football League with Paul Couch, Andrew Bews and Bairstow teaming beautifully to supply the team's powerful forward line.

After Geelong's loss in the 1989 grand final, Bairstow retired from VFL football and returned home to Lake Grace to work on his family's farm, while playing for the football side there.

However, he returned in 1991 and gave Geelong fantastic drive from the centreline that paved the way for Geelong's Grand Final appearances in 1992 and 1994.

After the 1994 Grand Final defeat and Malcolm Blight's resignation as coach of the club, Bairstow was advised that he was no longer required at the club by Blight's former assistant, new coach Gary Ayres.

Unfortunately due to the nature of Bairstow's dismissal, he has seldom been back to the club.