STAZZA!!!
The Football Career of Chris Stasinowsky
STAZZA, The Football Career of Chris Stasinowsky
Mercurial Talent, Complex Soul
“He was no ordinary player” – Broadcasting legend and former West Perth player and coach, Dennis Cometti.
On his day, this fellow is an absolute world beater” – Former Claremont star and Channel 7 commentator, Wayne Harvey.
“If he was a cricketer George (Grljusich), he’d have a hundred in a session” – WA sporting champion and commentator, Keith Slater following one of Stasinowsky’s 9-goals against Swan Districts in 1986.
“For whatever reason, when Chris plays a game of league football, he just finds the goals” – One of Stasinowsky’s league coaches, West Perth’s 1975 premiership coach, Graham Campbell providing special comments for Channel 7 in the SANFL.
“A kind, caring and unique loveable lost soul, somewhat misunderstood with unbelievable God-given ability … He could’ve made it anywhere, in any place, at any time … when hot, he was unbeatable” – Stasinowsky’s longest serving league coach and mentor, WA football’s charismatic character and icon, Malcolm Brown.
“When he came to play in the colts, you couldn’t pick a weakness, because he had the skill, he had the courage, he had an insatiable attitude and appetite for the game; dedicated, courageous, all of those traits you want or like to see in someone who was at the club” – Stasinowsky’s colts coach at West Perth and dual WA sporting champion, Ken McAullay.
Above, are just a small sample of quotes and sentiments shared from my first book ‘Stazza, The Football Career of Chris Stasinowsky; Mercurial Talent, Complex Soul’ released recently that analyses and celebrates the football career of the late Chris Stasinowsky who sadly took his own life aged just 27 on 14 February 1988.
Many of us have dreamt of one day writing a book, some will follow through, and for others, it will remain just a dream. I also had this distant dream and ambition as a football and cricket obsessed primary school aged enthusiast some 45 years ago. I just never knew what I would write about, why I would write it, how I would write it or when.
Following the evolution during the past 13 years of my Lost WAFL social media presence and armed with a passion and keen desire to preserve some of the rich history of the state’s oldest sporting competition, I decided to embark on writing the odd ‘Where are they now?’ and ‘In Memoriam’ type of articles on ex-WAFL players. These were an attempt to continue the vast collection of interview articles produced by the late Ron Head and Chris Stasinowsky was one of my subjects.
What began as an 800 odd word summary of Stasinowsky’s career and statistics, quickly evolved into the unintended book project that resulted, following a natural, organic sequence of events. It all started largely off the back of a question that I’d posed to one of Stasinowsky’s league coaches at West Perth, Dennis Cometti, on one occasion 12 years ago, on behalf of a mate of mine who happened to also be a Falcons tragic and gave me the impetus and motivation to expand further.
The question was “Can you ask Dennis Cometti next time you chat with him – Why Chris Stasinowsky left West Perth midway through 1982? So, I thought, that will be easy because at the time, I’d struck up a semi-regular conversational relationship with Cometti prior to, or after his appointments at a work premises that I was operating out of. Once he became aware of my WAFL passion, Cometti was always seeking me out and up for a chat about the competition he truly loved. I detected that our chats were a welcome escape from the hurly burly of him traversing the nation commentating AFL games.
Above: Dennis Cometti urging on his Falcons charges in 1982. Source: Sean Cowan.
One day following our customary pleasantries on the fortunes of his beloved Falcons and my Swans, I asked him the question, ‘Why did Chris Stasinowsky leave West Perth? Following a long, casual pause Cometti replied in his distinctive tone:
“Well Rick that’s an interesting question. You Know, one day I’d need to sit down and tell you all about it. I could probably write a book”.
And with that, after telling my mate about Cometti’s reply, I forgot about it for several years, until Covid reared its ugly head and all that coincided with it. Like many, this period provided extra time to keep our minds and bodies occupied, and so the statement that Cometti left me with seven years earlier came to life. It got me thinking that maybe I should write something about ‘Stazza’. And thus, on 21 November 2020, I began to research and note down Stasinowsky’s playing profile and statistics obtained from my own hard copy resources and Ric Gauci’s fabulous waflfootyfacts.net website.
Above: A rewarding process from scribbly notes the old-fashioned way typed into several draft’s and then the final outcome five years later that ticked off a childhood dream.
However, it quickly became apparent that apart from his stats and a brief statement on his career found at Kieran James’ waflgoldenera.blogspot.com website, there wasn’t a lot of other information about Stazza, and I hadn’t yet decided to venture into the Battye library and scour newspaper microfilms. This prompted me to think that perhaps I should try and get hold of his longest serving league coach, Malcolm Brown … but how? It was then that I remembered that Brown was a follower of Lost WAFL on Facebook, so I flicked him a private message on the off chance that firstly, Brown would see it, and secondly, he’d reply to me. Not much longer than two hours later, I was delighted and pleasantly surprised to receive a message from the WA football icon saying that he was keen to chat and to call him the next day.
Above: Meeting Mal Brown in 2022 and Brown giving ‘Stazza’ instructions whilst coaching Perth.
This kickstarted a five-year journey and before long I had several thousand words written down in my notebook, far too many for a social media post or article. Then, coupled with Cometti’s words all those years prior ringing in my head, “I could probably write a book”, I had my epiphany and thought that maybe I should have a crack at it and attempt to tick off that childhood dream. With the kind assistance and endorsement from Brown, for which I’m forever grateful, in sharing his thoughts and recollections of a player that he was very fond of, one contact led to another with each and everyone of them eager to convey their ‘Stazza’ memories.
‘Stazza, The Football Career of Chris Stasinowsky; Mercurial Talent, Complex Soul’, is an in-depth analysis of an Australian rules football career that included time in Western Australia and South Australia at the peak of top-level competition Australia wide pre-VFL/AFL national league expansion.
Once sought after by Richmond, ‘Stazza’, as he was affectionately known, was an electrifying footballer during the halcyon days of the 1980’s. With comparisons to the potential and ability of an early Gary Ablett snr, Peter Bosustow and modern-day stars such as Toby Greene, Dustin Martin and Patrick Dangerfield, in simple terms, Stasinowsky put bums on seats.
Described a “misunderstood” by Brown, ‘Stazza’ had the rare ability to rapidly turn a game with scintillating footy. Biographical in parts, ‘Stazza’ seeks to not only highlight, celebrate and rekindle memories of the potential and brilliance that Stasinowsky displayed on-field but also to enlighten the reader of the various character traits that shaped him, as described by family members, teammates, coaches and opponents. Interwoven throughout, are some of the dominant narratives surrounding football during a tumultuous period in the game, including controversial moments and changes to the football landscape. It respectfully touches on Stasinowsky’s undiagnosed, but posthumously recognised, mental anguish that plagued him and which eventually led to his sad departure.
A comprehensive career analysis with statistics and a chronological game by game history, including commentary from the day, gives the appendix section a scrapbook feel.
Chris Stasinowsky was a shooting star who made a lasting impact during his short life, not only on those who knew and loved him, but on the football fan from the other side of the fence.
‘Stazza, The Football Career of Chris Stasinowsky; Mercurial Talent, Complex Soul’ can be purchased through Amazon, Booktopia, Ingram Spark and other related online outlets or via copies direct for around $40 (prices may vary). Various online links are provided below, or alternatively, you can email me at keystart11@gmail.com, call or text; 0423199820 or direct message me here for further details and any questions.
Rick Vredenbregt
Purchase links (copy link into browser):
https://www.amazon.com.au/Stazza-Football-Career-Chris-Stasinowsky/dp/1923523139
https://www.booktopia.com.au/stazza-rick-vredenbregt/book/9781923523135.html
https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/the-nile-stazza-9781923523135/
https://australianauthorsstore.com/vredenbregt-rick/
