PLAYER: 1985-99

GAMES: 270: East Fremantle 61; West Coast 201; WA 8.

PREMIERSHIPS: East Fremantle 1985; West Coast 1992, 94.

HONOURS: VFL team of the year 1987; All Australian 1991, 96; Captain of winning WA State of origin team 1991.

Chris Mainwaring was one of the first West Coast players to come to terms with the greater physical demands of AFL football.  Recruited from Geraldton, he cut his WAFL teeth at East Fremantle and developed a famous appetite for a  contest , living a colourful life off the field.  He was one of West Coast’s greatest competitors on-field, a great mark for his size and a magnificent power runner.  When Mick Malthouse took the Eagles in the top four in the early 1990’s, Mainwaring’s consistency, reliability and sheer will to win provided the perfect foil to fellow midfielders Peter Matera and Dean Kemp.  Malthouse often played Mainwaring on the defensive wing, where he could be relied upon to win his position leaving Matera to wreak havoc on the attacking side.

He played in both Eagles premierships, 1992 and 1994.  In the historic first premiership of 1992 he sustained a serious ankle injury during the game.  In round two of 1997 he suffered a horrendous knee injury playing against Geelong at Kardinia Park.  Doctors described it as the sort of injury you would sustain in a car crash.  He missed be best part of two seasons, finally making it to his 200^th game in 1999.