Charles Bediako
October 6, 2026
Sean Bairstow
- Nationality: AUS
- Date of Birth: 30/11/2000
- Place of Birth: Brisbane (QLD)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 200
- Weight (KG): 93
- Junior Assoc: QLD - South West Metro
- College: Utah State (2019-2023) / Virginia Commonwealth (2023-2024)
- NBL DEBUT: 17/10/24
- AGE AT DEBUT: 23
- LAST NBL GAME: 22/02/26
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 25
- NBL History: New Zealand 2025-26
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Sean Bairstow was born in Brisbane (QLD) and began playing basketball as a junior with the South West Metro basketball program.
FAMILY: Sean Bairstow is the son of Ian and Penny Bairstow.
His parents have been involved in coaching junior basketball in Queensland.
His older sister Stephanie played college basketball at Utah State University during the 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons before continuing her basketball career in Australia.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Sean Bairstow made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 23 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.
New Zealand reshaped its roster after Anthony Lamb, Cameron Gliddon, Dan Fotu, Dom Kelman-Poto, Finn Delany, Mantas Rubstavicius and Zylan Cheatham exited the team, alongside Izayah Le’Afa (to Sydney), Justinian Jessup (to Ulm), Mangok Mathiang (to Ramat Gan) and William McDowell-White (to Berlin), while Thomas Abercrombie retired. Parker Jackson-Cartwright returned as the team’s only scorer above four points per game, with Max Darling, Dane Pineau, Carlin Davison and Alex McNaught also retained.
Head coach Mody Maor (to Nagasaki) was replaced by Petteri Koponen, who added Sean Bairstow (via VCU), Matt Mooney (via Trento), Sam Mennenga (via Cairns), Mojave King (via Indiana), Mitch McCarron (via Adelaide), Jonah Bolden (via Sydney), Grant Anticevich (via Gottingen), Freddie Gillespie (via Belgrade), Karim Lopez (via Badalona) and Kaia Isaac (via Canterbury). The 23-year-old joined on a two-year deal with a team option for the second season, marking his first professional contract.
After sitting out New Zealand’s opening two games, the rookie made his NBL debut on 17 October in an 84-73 road loss to Brisbane, grabbing 2 rebounds in four minutes during his first professional appearance.
Bairstow (3.8 points across 26 games) settled into a reserve role and made one start while providing size, ball-handling and versatility across the guard and wing positions. Jackson-Cartwright (18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.6 steals across 21 games) and Mooney (16.1 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.6 steals across 29 games) led the offence, while Mennenga (11.7 points and 5.3 rebounds across 29 games) and Lopez (9.6 points and 4.7 rebounds across 25 games) provided further support.
His best game of the season came against Melbourne on 4 November, where Bairstow (12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal) shot 5-of-8 from the field and made both of his three-point attempts as New Zealand won 113-79. Mennenga (25 points and 4 rebounds), Jackson-Cartwright (23 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists), Lopez (17 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks) and Mooney (17 points and 4 assists) led a balanced performance, while Flynn Cameron (20 points) was Melbourne’s best as the Breakers improved to 6-2.
Bairstow (8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block) delivered another productive performance against Cairns on 16 November, making two three-pointers as New Zealand won 77-69. Mooney (15 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals) led the Breakers, while Rob Edwards (33 points and 5 rebounds) carried the Taipans.
The victory sent New Zealand into the FIBA break with a 7-3 record, but Gillespie (6.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks across 9 games) requested his release and was replaced by Tacko Fall (via Nanjing). Fall (11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks across 18 games) became the Breakers’ primary interior scorer and rim protector over the remainder of the season.
Bairstow (8 points, 1 rebound, and 3 assists) shot 4-of-6 from the field in New Zealand’s 123-112 loss to Perth on 1 December. Jackson-Cartwright (34 points, 10 assists, and 3 steals) and Mennenga (25 points and 8 rebounds) led the Breakers, but Bryce Cotton (59 points, 7 assists, and 1 block) delivered a record-breaking performance for the Wildcats.
Bairstow (7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal) made his only start of the season against Tasmania on 12 December, while Fall (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 block) led New Zealand. Jordon Crawford (24 points and 4 assists) and Sean Macdonald (17 points) powered the JackJumpers to a 100-76 win as the Breakers’ losing streak reached five games.
Two nights later, Bairstow (8 points and 3 rebounds) provided an efficient contribution in 10 minutes against Adelaide, but Jackson-Cartwright (25 points and 8 assists) and Mooney (19 points and 3 assists) were unable to prevent a 111-94 loss as Kendric Davis (36 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists) and Montrezl Harrell (21 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists) led the 36ers.
Jackson-Cartwright won the Breakers’ MVP and Members Choice awards, King (8.5 points across 17 games) was named Defensive Player of the Year and Mennenga’s 29-point performance against Tasmania was voted the Fans’ Moment of the Year.
After entering the FIBA break at 7-3, New Zealand won only three of its final 19 games and finished ninth with a 10-19 record, missing the postseason.
New Zealand closed the season with a 96-82 home loss to Illawarra, where Bairstow (6 points and 2 assists) played 17 minutes, Fall (16 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks) led the Breakers and Tyler Harvey (29 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists) led the Hawks.
2025/26
New Zealand prepared for Petteri Koponen’s second season after finishing ninth with a 10-19 record and missing the playoffs, with Matt Mooney, Jonah Bolden (to Illawarra), Mojave King (to Cairns), Grant Anticevich (to Belgium), Freddie Gillespie (to Turkey), Tacko Fall (to China), Tai Wynyard, Dane Pineau (retired) and Mitch McCarron (retired) all departing. Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Sam Mennenga, Karim Lopez, Max Darling and Carlin Davison remained from the previous season.
After returning as President of Basketball Operations in March 2025, Dillon Boucher worked with second-year head coach Petteri Koponen to rebuild around a stronger New Zealand playing core. In April, Boucher said the Breakers had contacted virtually every New Zealander playing outside New Zealand or Australia, directly or through their agents, with Finn Delany and Yanni Wetzell among the overseas players publicly discussed as potential recruits.
Koponen added Reuben Te Rangi (via Tasmania), Izayah Le’Afa (via Sydney), Rob Loe (via Melbourne), Taylor Britt (via Canterbury), imports Izaiah Brockington (via Vancouver) and Rob Baker II (via Germany), with Jack Andrew and Liam Judd joining as development players.
Bairstow (5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block) made both field-goal attempts, including his only three-pointer, in his best scoring game against Sydney at Spark Arena on January 9, but New Zealand suffered a 103-62 loss, with Lopez (11 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks) and Brockington (10 points) leading the Breakers, while Kouat Noi (18 points and 7 rebounds) was Sydney’s best.
Bairstow (1.3 points across 24 games) returned after New Zealand exercised the team option in the second season of his original two-year deal, remaining a reserve wing capable of providing size, ball-handling and defensive versatility. His role increased after injuries affected the Breakers’ rotation, with the 25-year-old moving into the starting lineup for the final four regular-season games.
Le’Afa (3.5 points across 15 games) suffered a fractured foot in December and was replaced by Tai Webster (via Perth), giving New Zealand another ball-handler during the second half of the season.
Jackson-Cartwright (17.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.8 steals across 34 games) and Mennenga (17.8 points and 6.8 rebounds across 28 games) became New Zealand’s two leading offensive players, while Brockington (16.1 points and 3.8 rebounds across 33 games), Lopez (11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals across 31 games), Baker (10 points and 4.8 rebounds across 25 games), Webster (7.1 points and 3.1 rebounds across 16 games), Te Rangi (6.8 points across 34 games) and Davison (5.2 points and 3.3 rebounds across 34 games) provided the other main contributions. Mennenga won the NBL’s Next Generation Award, Jackson-Cartwright earned All-NBL Second Team honours and received the Breakers’ club MVP and Members’ Choice awards, while Brockington was named the club’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Bairstow (3 rebounds and 2 steals) made his fourth consecutive start in New Zealand’s final regular-season game at Eventfinda Stadium on February 19, where Mennenga (32 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Jackson-Cartwright (19 points and 13 assists) led the Breakers to a 115-84 win over Cairns, while Andrew Andrews (24 points and 7 assists) was Cairns’ best. New Zealand finished seventh with a 13-20 record and missed the NBL postseason.
New Zealand’s 3-1 Ignite Cup record earned it a place in the inaugural final against Adelaide at the Gold Coast Convention Centre on February 22, where Jackson-Cartwright (29 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals), Mennenga (21 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Brockington (21 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals) led the Breakers, while Bryce Cotton (34 points, 3 rebounds, and 9 assists), Zylan Cheatham (21 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals) and Nick Rakocevic (21 points and 11 rebounds) were Adelaide’s best. New Zealand defeated the 36ers 111-107 to claim the inaugural title and $300,000, with Bairstow (1 rebound) playing eight minutes.
Sean Bairstow played two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers. He averaged 2.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 50 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 25 | New Zealand | 13-20 (7) | 24 | 245 | 32 | 47 | 16 | 8 | 39 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 23 | 13 | 47 | 28% | 2 | 12 | 17% | 4 | 5 | 80% | 32% | 30% | 5 |
| 2024-25 | 24 | New Zealand | 10-19 (9) | 26 | 395 | 98 | 46 | 30 | 15 | 31 | 3 | 7 | 15 | 34 | 42 | 107 | 39% | 8 | 38 | 21% | 6 | 13 | 46% | 43% | 43% | 12 | Totals | 50 | 640 | 130 | 93 | 46 | 23 | 70 | 7 | 9 | 23 | 57 | 55 | 154 | 35.7% | 10 | 50 | 20.0% | 10 | 18 | 55.6% | 40% | 39% | 12 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 25 | New Zealand | 13-20 (7) | 24 | 10.2 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 28% | 0.1 | 0.5 | 17% | 0.2 | 0.2 | 80% | 32% | 30% | 5 |
| 2024-25 | 24 | New Zealand | 10-19 (9) | 26 | 15.2 | 3.8 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 4.1 | 39% | 0.3 | 1.5 | 21% | 0.2 | 0.5 | 46% | 43% | 43% | 12 | Total | 50 | 12.8 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 35.7% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 20.0% | 0.2 | 1.0 | 55.6% | 40% | 39% | 12 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 12 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- South West Metro Pirates (2018–2019, 2024)
Bairstow joined South West Metro Pirates for the 2018 QBL season, and he remained with the Pirates in 2019. Across 20 games over those two QBL seasons, he averaged 12.2 points per game with around three rebounds and one assist, while a 2019 recruiting assessment noted that in his most recent QBL action he shot 57 per cent inside the arc and made three three-pointers in 11 games.
Sean Bairstow joined South West Metro Pirates for the 2024 NBL1 North season when the club announced his return, noting that he had left the Pirates in 2019 to head to college in the United States after four years at Utah State and a fifth year at VCU.
FIBA EXPERIENCE
In March 2019, Sean Bairstow was selected in Australias 25-player preliminary squad for the FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Greece.
Bairstow participated in the national-team selection process but was not selected in the final 12-player Australian roster and did not make a World Cup appearance.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- New Zealand - Tauranga Whai (2025), Auckland Tuatara (2026) | England - Sheffield Sharks (2026–)
Bairstow joined Tauranga Whai for the 2025 New Zealand NBL season and featured in a roster that included Jayden Bezzant, Anzac Rissetto, Kruz Perrott-Hunt and Mojave King.
On 26 April 2025, Bairstow produced one of his strongest games of the season with 22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal while shooting 9-of-12 from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point range in a 95–90 loss to the Taranaki Airs.
Across 21 regular-season games for Tauranga, he averaged 10.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 33.1 minutes per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the field, 23.9 percent from three-point range and 76.2 percent from the free-throw line.
Bairstow joined the Auckland Tuatara for the 2026 New Zealand NBL season, adding a second New Zealand club to his professional career.
On 8 August 2026, Bairstow signed with the Sheffield Sharks for the 2026–27 Super League Basketball season in England, with Sheffield listing Auckland as his previous team.
COLLEGE
Bairstow played college basketball beginning at Utah State University during the 2019-20 season and continued there through the 2022-23 season before transferring to Virginia Commonwealth University for the 2023-24 season. In his freshman year at Utah State (2019-20), Bairstow appeared in 32 games, did not start, averaged 11.7 minutes per game, and scored 2.8 points per contest while shooting 44.6 % from the field, 33.3 % on three-pointers, and 71.4 % at the free throw line, adding 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. During the 2020-21 season, he appeared in 25 games with one start, averaging 3.7 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 11.7 minutes per game, shooting 47.4 % overall, 38.5 % from three, and 68.8 % on free throws. In the 2021-22 season, Bairstow played in 25 games and started 18, averaging 9.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists with a .516 field goal percentage; he scored in double figures 14 times and had a season-high 20 points at Colorado State on January 12, 2022, while also recording 36 assists, 14 steals, and eight blocks. As a senior in 2022-23 at Utah State, he appeared in and started all 35 games, tied for second in program single-season games started and tied for third in games played; he averaged 10.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 47.3 % from the field and 38.6 % from three, scored in double figures 20 times, grabbed a career-best 10 rebounds twice, and posted a career-high ten assists in a game at Colorado State on February 4, 2023. After transferring to VCU for the 2023-24 season, Bairstow suited up for the VCU Rams, appearing in 25 games with 24 starts and averaging 10.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 39.9 % from the field and 25.4 % from behind the arc, contributing as a key wing for the Atlantic 10 Conference squad. Across his NCAA Division I career at Utah State and VCU, Bairstow played in 142 games, averaging 7.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game with a 46.0 % field goal percentage, 29.6 % three-point percentage and 67.3 % free throw rate.
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