Chris Mainwaring Dead at 41

[chops_a_must]

Chris Mainwaring dead at 41
David Lowden
Friday, September 28, 2007

By David Lowden
ninemsn

Former West Coast Eagles champion, Chris Mainwaring, has died at the age of 41.

Western Australian police say he collapsed in his home in the Perth suburb of Cottesloe around midnight. An ambulance took him to the nearby Sir Charles Gardiner hospital in Subiaco but he was unable to be revived.

"Mainy", as he was affectionately known, was a brilliant footballer for the Eagles during their dominant years of the 1990s.

He was a crucial member of the two premiership sides of 1992 and 1994 playing as a wingman who knew when to leave his man and join the forwards in attack. He was the type of player who could turn a game off his own boot with a flash of brilliance.

Mainwaring played 201 games, was a regular player for his beloved Western Australia and a two-time All Australian.

Off the field, he was known as a loveable larrikin, and there was no bigger name in Perth in his playing days. A few scrapes with the law were forgiven by his adoring public because "Mainy" was the man all blokes wanted to be their mate and most girls wanted to marry.

During his playing days he was an accomplished media performer and has been a presenter with Channel Seven in Perth for more than a decade.

Mainwaring had been presenting the sports news on Channel 7 on weekends for five years.

His reputation as a party boy had been replaced as that of a loving husband and family man in recent years. He is survived by his wife Rani and two young children.

I was always a fan of his as a boy. He'll always be remembered by me as the guy who danced, walked, and jumped up and down on a shattered ankle after the 92 grand final.

R.I.P. Chris.

 

[Sean K]

Sad when anyone passes away.

Who dies at home with no expanation? At 41?

 

[chops_a_must]

Sad when anyone passes away.

Who dies at home with no expanation? At 41?

There's rumours it was an overdose...

 

[2020hindsight]

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2007/10/01/7440_news.html

Mainwaring, who was recruited to West Coast from East Fremantle, played 201 games for the Eagles between 1987 and `99 and played eight State of Origin games for WA.

The gifted ballwinner was a key member of the Eagles' famous midfield during the `90s, averaging more than 20 possessions a match and steering the club to its first AFL premiership over the Cats in `92 and to its second, again over Geelong, in `94.

He regularly figured in the club's best and fairest award, finishing runners-up on three occasions and third twice, but in later years was dogged by injury.

chops, howdy - sad news for you WA fans
strange circumstances, only 41 etc ( as kennas says) - and why would a "best and fairest" player get involved with drugs?
maybe not m8
maybe time will tell - hard to keep "cause of death" a secret these days, even if you wanted to. you'd know more about that than me.


ps maybe echoes of joey johns, but one bridge too far?

 

[chops_a_must]

strange circumstances, only 41 etc ( as kennas says) - and why would a "best and fairest" player get involved with drugs?
maybe not m8
maybe time will tell - hard to keep "cause of death" a secret these days, even if you wanted to. you'd know more about that than me.


ps maybe echoes of joey johns, but one bridge too far?

Mmm... no. He was one of the original "party boys" at the Eagles, and did ads for taxis after being banned from driving for instance...

Apparently he was screaming in the street 30 mins before he died... Obviously there is more to the story though. But yeah, he constantly had rumours about having a troubled personal life as long as I can remember...

 

[Sprinter79]

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2007/10/01/7440_news.html



and why would a "best and fairest" player get involved with drugs?

Ben Cousins anyone?

 

[Miner]

Folks
It is really a sad news and shocking news irrespective of if you are a footy fan or live in WA. I am not a footy fan but I am personally perplexed to find out if there is a superman who calls himself or herself as God no matter how you worship this almighty why he takes away good people.

Chris has been an outstanding personality, an Aussie icon, a live person, so agile and fit.
God knows what fitness level one requires not to attain the tragic death like Chris at the age of 41.

May I join with you all to express our deepest condolence to Chris and his family and friends. Hope time will heal it up.

Regards

Miner

 

[2020hindsight]

I am not a footy fan but I am personally perplexed to find out if there is a superman who calls himself or herself as God no matter how you worship this almighty why he takes away good people.

Chris has been an outstanding personality, an Aussie icon, a live person, so agile and fit.
God knows what fitness level one requires not to attain the tragic death like Chris at the age of 41.

May I join with you all to express our deepest condolence to Chris and his family and friends. Hope time will heal it up.
Regards Miner

well said miner - 41 is just miles too young, whatever the cause.
but based on chops's comments, maybe Chris "got by with a little help from his friends?" - or maybe his friends turned out to be enemies? if you get my drift.

"God knows what fitness level one requires not to attain the tragic death like Chris at the age of 41" - lol - an interesting concept.

I don't know the answer , but I do know that it doesn't matter how fit you are, you're not gonna make it to 141! (ok - recent advances in medicine, make that 241)

Ben Cousins anyone?

spot on sprinter
such a gaping hole in my argument

 

[Aussiejeff]

Unfortunately, it appears the drug bogey has raised it's ugly head again.... not exactly good news that Cousins appears to be one of the last persons to see him before he began to convulse... the report says he went to see Mainy because he was "hungry". Exactly what was Chris hungry for?



"Sean Cowan and Ray Wilson
October 2, 2007

Troubled West Coast Eagles star Ben Cousins rushed to the aid of a distressed Chris Mainwaring twice in the hours before the retired player died after allegedly taking ecstasy and cannabis.

Mainwaring, 41, who was thought to have been battling depression, was discovered by police and ambulance officers who were called to his Cottesloe home at 11.30 on Sunday night by neighbours concerned about a man yelling for help nearby.

But police said yesterday that Mainwaring refused help and was left in the care of a neighbour. An hour later, ambulance officers were called back to the house, where Mainwaring was found unconscious. He was taken to a Perth hospital and died a short time later.

It is believed that Mainwaring, a Channel Seven sports presenter in Perth, had told ambulance officers during the first visit that he had taken ecstasy and cannabis. Police and St John Ambulance refused to comment on the claim.

Cousins, who spent four weeks in drug rehabilitation in the US earlier this year, was asked by Mainwaring's wife, Rani, to talk to her husband because Mainwaring had helped him battle his drug problems. A Mainwaring family friend said that Cousins first went to the Mainwaring house on Sunday morning and was satisfied his former teammate was all right.

Mrs Mainwaring and the couple's children, Maddy, 8, and Zac, 6, were on holiday at a Toodyay farm, 100 kilometres east of Perth.

Later in the morning, Mainwaring sparred with former Australian Test batsman Justin Langer in preparation for a kickboxing bout on Thursday.

Cousins returned later that night after Mainwaring called complaining that he was hungry. It is understood he took Mainwaring some food and, after talking, left shortly before 10pm.

The family friend said Cousins had been concerned about Mainwaring up to a month ago and had organised some support."

 

[Sean K]

Unfortunately, it appears the drug bogey has raised it's ugly head again.... not exactly good news that Cousins appears to be one of the last persons to see him before he began to convulse... the report says he went to see Mainy because he was "hungry". Exactly what was Chris hungry for?

Yes, I think the boys in blue will have some questions for BC. Worst case, he's provided the e that's killed him. Golly...

 

[chops_a_must]

Yes, I think the boys in blue will have some questions for BC. Worst case, he's provided the e that's killed him. Golly...

Or potentially been selling him the stuff he died of, and causing him problems the last month.

And from what benny has being saying to people in public, he hasn't stopped taking anything anyway.

Considering the "Golden Hair boy" was caught allegedly importing something in Broome a few weeks ago, he might be in a hell of a lot of trouble. Nice work once again by Dalton and the Eagles board to shut the West Australian newspaper and channel 7 up over that. Christ they control everything so much over here.

But they've got to get rid of that joke of a person. No wonder Judd left, who'd want to stay? But now it looks like that parasite is literally killing the club...

 

[Prospector]

They mentioned today that he was having it tough because of a marriage split. Wow, tough thing to land on the wife - the guilt will stay with her forever.

Gosh, seriously, a 41 year old and drugs? Maybe at 16 years of age and experimenting, maybe an addicted person in their twenties, but at 41 years of age? Way old enough to know better. Maybe, given the descriptions of his 'larrikin ways' he never got past being a teenager.

 

[nomore4s]

Gosh, seriously, a 41 year old and drugs? Maybe at 16 years of age and experimenting, maybe an addicted person in their twenties, but at 41 years of age? Way old enough to know better. Maybe, given the descriptions of his 'larrikin ways' he never got past being a teenager.

Could say something about the culture at the Eagles maybe.

 

[Sean K]

Gosh, seriously, a 41 year old and drugs? Maybe at 16 years of age and experimenting, maybe an addicted person in their twenties, but at 41 years of age? Way old enough to know better. Maybe, given the descriptions of his 'larrikin ways' he never got past being a teenager.

41 isn't that old prospector! Please.

 

[Sprinter79]

Regardles of your age, and fitness level, a racing heart beat is a potentially dangerous thing, and in this case, it lead to heart failure (of some discription).

There could be any number of reasons for this, but the most likely cause would be some kind of consequence from the substances he ingested. He was a known party boy, and he had just had a visit from a known drug addict (and dealer). Throw into the mix a marriage breakdown, and you've got a receipe for disaster.

 

[Prospector]

41 isn't that old prospector! Please.

Nah, just a baby Kennas, but it is old in the context of drug taking! How can we expect teenagers to know what to do with drugs when our role models and 'parenting' generation get it so wrong!

 

[IFocus]

Could say something about the culture at the Eagles maybe.

I think its more about the choices young men make particularly a group that are super risk takers to start with, if anyone believe that all other AFL teams are clean of drugs then I would urge them to do some research if only for the sake of their own kids.

Also there have been some pretty harsh comments made with plenty of innuendo some I believe has some basis but most is wide of the mark.

The lost of Mainwaring here in the West has shaken so many.

Focus

 

[disarray]

current drug policies are an abject failure. the war on drugs can never be won as it is a war on human nature.

 

[CanOz]

41...too young to die..

I'll be 41 in a couple of months.

 

[nomore4s]

I think its more about the choices young men make particularly a group that are super risk takers to start with, if anyone believe that all other AFL teams are clean of drugs then I would urge them to do some research if only for the sake of their own kids.

Also there have been some pretty harsh comments made with plenty of innuendo some I believe has some basis but most is wide of the mark.

The lost of Mainwaring here in the West has shaken so many.

Focus

Focus I agree, society in general has problems with drugs so we can't expect footy clubs to be any different.
I support Hawthorn and unfortunately there seems to be a drug problem at that club as well.