Hugely popular among teammates and fans, Mainwaring’s memory has been honoured every year since 2008 with a tribute match under lights at Patersons Stadium, featuring past AFL players, personalities from Channel Seven and Mainwaring’s children, Maddy and Zac.
With all funds raised from this initiative going to Mainwaring’s favourite charity, Telethon, these annual matches have traditionally drawn huge crowds of loyal West Coast fans and this year was no different.
The Chris Mainwaring Legends Match, presented by BHP Billiton, attracted over 15,000 supporters to WA’s home of football on Saturday night, all keen to witness the West Coast OWLS (Older, Wiser, Larger, Slower) line up against the Geelong TOMcats (Tired Old Men), a 1992 grand final replay.
Each team boasted a stellar cast, with the blue and gold represented by the likes of John Worsfold, Chris Lewis, Dean Kemp and the Matera brothers.
In the Cats corner, fans enjoyed the return of Billy Brownless, Peter Riccardi, Barry Stoneham and Paul Couch.
The close game rated as perhaps the best of the tribute matches so far in terms of skill and entertainment value, with Rob Palmer (Better Homes and Gardens) providing some comic relief throughout the game as a team runner, setting up an oxygen tent in middle of the ground for the struggling players just before the end of the second quarter.
Eleven-year-old Zac Mainwaring kicked the first goal for the OWLS and managed another one before the game was through, with Kevin Caton also kicking two majors.
Inspired by this feat, team captain Worsfold attempted two marks of the year, but had limited success.
The TOMCats suffered a few early casualties with Michael Mansfield injuring his groin in the warm-up and Stoneham going down with a hamstring at half-time. But Geelong soldiered on thanks to some very vocal coaching from Brownless and Liam Pickering from the bench, with Ricciardi and Adrian Hickmott keeping them competitive and in the game.
The youngers OWLS in David Wirrpanda, Drew Banfield, Tyson Stenglein, Chad Fletcher and Brett and Rowan Jones were all strong contributors and sealed the fifth consecutive OWLS victory, 11.6 (72) to 9.5 (59).
Best-on-ground honours went to West Coast’s Banfield and Geelong’s Adrian Hickmott who won medals named after Eagles stalwart Bill Sutherland and Cats legend Denis Marshall.
West Coast would like to thank match sponsor BHP Billiton and all fans who attended and generously donated to Telethon.
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