Mark Bairstow

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Mark Bairstow (born 1961-07-24) was a successful Australian rules football player in both the Australian Football League (AFL) and the West Australian Football League (WAFL).


Contents

[edit] WAFL career

Bairstow came to South Fremantle Football Club from Lake Grace in 1985 and had an immediate impact, winning the WA Media Guild's Footballer of the Future award, representing Western Australia is a state match against South Australia, coming second to Wally Matera in South Fremantle's best and fairest award and equal third in the Sandover Medal. He was then named as captain in 1986 and represented WA twice more, won the Sandover Medal and South Fremantle's best and fairest award.[1]

[edit] VFL/AFL career

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 recruited by the Geelong Football Club. Bairstow signed with Geelong on 1986-09-26, five days before the 12 VFL clubs voted to allow a West Australian club (the West Coast Eagles) to join the competition.[2]

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, Western Australia to work on his family's farm, while playing for the football side there.[3]

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. Due to the nature of Bairstow's dismissal, he has seldom been back to the club.[4]

[edit] See Also

[edit] References

  1. ^ 1986 West Australian Football Register, 24th, Westralian Publishers, 10. 
  2. ^ 1987 West Australian Football Register, 25th, Westralian Publishers, 84. 
  3. ^ 1990 West Australian Football Register, 28th, Westralian Publishers, 68. 
  4. ^ Niall, Jake; Geelong and the stray Cats; The Age; 2003-08-16
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