A cult figure and "crowd favourite" standing at only 177 centimetres (5 ft 10 in) and weighing just 73 kilograms (161 lb), Gastev began with West Perth in 1983.
However, Gastev's career did not take off until 1985 when he gave up a career as an engraver to concentrate upon football full-time and became a mainstay for the Falcons[1] before debuting with the West Coast Eagles in their inaugural season in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
[2] Gastev's main roles were as a tagger, though he occasionally played as a forward in his early years.
In an upset win over the Sydney Swans early in 1989, Gastev kicked seven goals after half-time, a feat made more remarkable by the fact that he kicked no other goal in the first thirteen rounds of 1989.
After 1990, Gastev played chiefly in defence, and his career was ended when he suffered a major hit at the hands of Gary Ablett in a match in 1994 at Kardinia Park.