BIO: Jarred Bairstow was born and raised in Brisbane (QLD) and began playing basketball as a junior with the South West Metro basketball program.

FAMILY: Jarred’s brother, Cam Bairstow also played 74 games in the NBL. Also, his sister Steph attended Utah State before forging a playing career in the NBL.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Jarred Bairstow made his NBL debut with the Brisbane Bullets at 24 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

In his debut NBL season, Jarred Bairstow appeared in five games as a development player with the Brisbane Bullets, sharing the court with his brother, Cameron. Bairstow averaged 0.2 points per game while contributing to a Brisbane team that ultimately finished in eighth place with a 10-18 record.

PERTH WILDCATS
2020/21
Coming off a controversial Grand Final victory in which Sydney forfeited due to COVID-19 health concerns, Perth Wildcats encountered challenges in NBL21 as the league navigated frequent pandemic disruptions. Losing key players Terrico White and Nick Kay to overseas contracts, the Wildcats signed John Mooney to fill the significant gap in the frontcourt. However, with the NBL reducing the import roster limit from three to two, they were unable to retain Miles Plumlee.

The season commenced with uncertainty, as teams received their schedules week by week, adapting to changing COVID-related travel restrictions. Perth recruited Bairstow to cover an injury to Majok Majok; he appeared in 38 games, including 17 starts, averaging 1.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists. Struggling to gain momentum, Perth found themselves in seventh place after five rounds, prompting the league to relocate all teams to Melbourne for the NBL Cup, a concentrated tournament aimed at maintaining the season amidst travel constraints.

In Melbourne, Bryce Cotton (23.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.5 steals) ramped up his performance, which created opportunities for Todd Blanchfield, newly acquired from Illawarra. Blanchfield capitalized on the space Cotton created, delivering a career-best season with 15.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists, setting a Wildcats record for most three-pointers in a season. Together with Mooney (16.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals), they led Perth back to the top of the standings.

In the season’s final stretch, however, Cotton sustained a season-ending injury in a loss to Melbourne (64–78), sidelining him from Perth’s playoff run despite being named league MVP. Melbourne United secured first place with a 28-8 record, while Perth finished second at 25-11.

Facing Illawarra in the semifinals, Perth dropped the first game (72–74), but rebounded in game two, thanks to strong showings from Luke Travers (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Mooney (18 points, 10 rebounds). Blanchfield’s 24-point effort in game three propelled them past Illawarra (79-71) and into the Grand Final against Melbourne United.

With travel restrictions in place, games one and two were held in Perth. Despite Blanchfield’s 27-point performance, United narrowly won the opener (70–73) and followed up with another victory in game two (74–83), driven by Chris Goulding and Jock Landale. An injury-weakened backcourt saw Kevin White step up with career-best contributions, but Perth fell short, losing game three in front of a sold-out crowd at John Cain Arena (76-81). Landale’s standout performance earned him Finals MVP as Melbourne clinched their sixth championship under the United brand.

Bairstow concluded the season with 1.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in his 38 appearances.

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS
2021/22
Following his departure from Perth, Bairstow joined the Tasmania JackJumpers for their inaugural season, accepting a multi-year deal. Expectations were low, with bookmakers giving them 400:1 odds to win the championship.

The JackJumpers kicked off their NBL debut with an 83–74 overtime win against Brisbane, though they struggled thereafter, holding a 2-6 record by round 8. The season became more challenging after marquee signing Will Magnay suffered a season-ending injury, prompting head coach Scott Roth to adopt a more balanced approach. The adjustment paid off, as Tasmania won 10 of their final 12 games, finishing fifth with a 17–11 record.

In a twist of fate, Tasmania claimed fourth place when South East Melbourne defeated Perth in the final regular-season game, securing the JackJumpers a playoff spot based on points percentage.

In the semifinals, they faced top-seeded Melbourne United. After losing game one (74–63), they evened the series with a home win, and with United’s Chris Goulding sidelined in game three, Tasmania prevailed (76-73), advancing to the Grand Final in their debut season.

The Sydney Kings awaited them, having swept Illawarra. Sydney took game one decisively (95–78), and game two marked the first NBL Grand Final held in Hobart. Josh Adams’ 36-point performance nearly carried the JackJumpers to an upset, but the Kings, led by Xavier Cooks and Jarell Martin, edged them out (90-86). A decisive game three saw Sydney capture their first title in 17 years, ending Tasmania’s Cinderella run.

Bairstow ended the season with 1.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.5 assists.

2022/23
For their second season, the JackJumpers retained most of their core but lost key scorers Josh Adams and MiKyle McIntosh. Coach Roth quickly recruited Milton Doyle and Rashard Kelly to fill their roles.

Tasmania endured a rough start, with captain Clint Stiendl sidelined from an injury at the FIBA Asia Cup and Magnay recovering from a foot injury. After an 0-3 start, they secured a victory over Brisbane, sparked by Doyle’s 32-point outing, and followed up with a four-game win streak that solidified their place in the top six.

Doyle (17.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 steals) led Tasmania’s scoring, while Jack McVeigh (14.8 points, 4.6 rebounds) emerged as the team’s standout local player. Finishing fourth (16-12), they advanced to the new play-in tournament, defeating Cairns (79–87) before facing second-seeded New Zealand.

Tasmania struggled offensively in game one, scoring only 68 points, but Doyle’s 23 points in game two helped force a deciding match. However, New Zealand proved too strong in game three, defeating the JackJumpers 92-77.

Bairstow played 22 games, averaging 1.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.6 assists.

2023/24
Bairstow received the JackJumpers Coaches Award at the end of the season for his contributions and steady performance.

Jarred Bairstow currently plays for the Brisbane Bullets and has played 117 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 1.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.6 assists since entering the league in 2016.

CURRENT CONTRACT:

Brisbane Bullets – 1 Year Deal (2024-25)

Dan Boyce (829 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.